A student with just £20 in his pocket panicked and tried to do a runner from the five-star Savoy after racking up a bill of £2,146, which included a £1,750 bottle of 2004 Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
Yahya Egeh had intended to spent just £20 on a burger in London to celebrate his 20th birthday, but was convinced to go to The Savoy by a friend known only as Tallulah, as reported by the Metro.
While waiting for his friend to arrive, Egeh managed to rack up a bill of £2,146, including a £1,750 bottle of 2004 Chateau Mouton Rothschild.
The architecture student, from Willesden Green, North-West London, then tried to leave without paying, but was detained by security staff.
Appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, Egeh’s lawyer, Shaher Bukhari, said Egeh had begun to panic when ‘Tallulah’ failed to arrive.
“He apologised for what he did,” the lawyer added.
Prosecutor Matthew Groves told the court that Egeh, who admitted making off without payment, had no previous convictions.
Egeh will be sentenced on Friday.