A homeless man broke into two caravans at Burnham-on-Crouch.
The alarm was raised when a witness quizzed Lee Maynard when he was standing on the steps to one of the vans, James Ellis, prosecuting, told Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday.
Maynard told the witness the van belonged to his father, but this was not so, said Mr Ellis and in fact Maynard had stolen £8 worth of breakfast cereals from the van and a £30 fishing reel from the other.
Maynard, 20, of Woodgrange Drive, Southend, pleaded guilty to two offences of burglary last June.
He had been in custody for several months pending the court appearance. Sentence was 18 months rehabilitation and to take part in a general offending programme.
Jacob Blatch, mitigating, said Maynard committed the offences when he was homeless. He knew of the caravan site, found two insecure unoccupied vans, slept there and took items of low value.
Published Wednesday, May 28, 2003
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