AN intruder who climbed through a window at a block of student flats has denied being a burglar and claimed he got the wrong room.

Reece Williams, of Lilliana Way, Bridgwater, was caught inside Exeter University student Pedro Marqueti’s room as he allegedly tried to load a laptop into a rucksack.

He told police he was planning to visit a female student who lived in a different part of the Printworks apartments in Western Way and climbed in the wrong window.

He was caught inside Mr Marqueti’s room by a friend who grappled with him before Williams ran away empty handed.

A jury at Exeter Crown Court have been shown CCTV of him and a friend wandering around the complex of student flats before he climbed through the open window.

Williams, aged 24, denies burglary.

Herc Ashworth, prosecuting, said a student who was visiting Mr Marqueti on March 11 last year, went into his room and found a stranger inside.

Maximillian Vickers saw Williams emptying his rucksack of clothes but leaving in his laptop and sunglasses. Williams asked him what he was doing in the room and then dropped the bag and ran.

Mr Vickers tried to stop him and they exchanged punches before Williams left. A broken Macbook laptop, which had been in a drawer in Mr Marqueti’s desk was also found in the rucksack.

Williams told police that he was trying to visit a female friend whose room in F block at the Printworks looked identical to the one he entered.

He said he had no intention of stealing anything and his trespass into the room was accidental.