A MAN caught burgling a guest house in the first weeks of the country-wide lockdown has been spared jail.

Robert Newman was discovered by residents of the empty Oxford business with a stash of used tea and coffee condiments discarded in a bin.

The 32-year-old of no fixed abode had originally denied any wrong-doing but went on to admit one count of burglary with intent to steal.

He was sentenced for that crime at Oxford Crown Court on Friday.

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Outlining the case at the hearing prosecutor Jonathon Stone said the episode of burglary took place in early April this year.

An occupant of the Lakeside Guest House, Abingdon Road, Oxford, heard two loud noises at about 10pm on April 6 but at first he thought nothing of it.

The next day he went outside for a cigarette and spotted what he thought was water on the ground but on closer inspection found it to be shattered glass.

He then contacted other family members to join in and to investigate what had happened, and one arrived shortly afterwards.

When the two men went to the room they saw a man who appeared 'startled' and he was told to leave.

The police were called and Newman was arrested.

On investigating the room it was apparent that all of the tea, coffee and milk in the room had been used and discarded.

A pot noodle was also found inside a bin and there was damage to a wall which had been caused by a mountain bike resting on it.

It was also said that the room smelled of smoke.

During interview with police prosecutors said that Newman gave 'conflicting accounts' about what had happened.

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He went on to say that he slept at the guest house 'for a couple of nights.'

Despite first denying the offence he later pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Friday.

It was revealed at that hearing that he has previous crimes to his name, made up of 23 convictions for 55 offences.

In mitigation Jane Brady said her client had been a 'desperate man in desperate circumstances.'

She said that Newman had come across the property with a window that was already broken and he had nowhere to eat.

Sentencing, Judge Maria Lamb said she had two options - to either jail Newman or impose a community penalty.

She said that despite his 'dismal' record for compliance she would order a community-based punishment instead of handing him a jail term.

She warned: "If you break this order you are going to come back in front of me and I am going to send you back to prison."

Newman was handed a community order for 12 months.

As part of that order he must complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He must also pay a statutory victim surcharge.