A MANSION intruder who breached a court order for the third time has avoided prison “by a hair’s breadth”.

Ben Hopkinson, 27, was sentenced in February for a crime he committed at Grade II-listed stately home Flass, set in 15 acres of land at Maulds Meaburn in the Eden Valley.

Hopkinson had stolen a microphone from a building which was later targeted by “urban explorers”, having been used by a criminal gang from the south of England as a cannabis factory.

During 2015, criminal gang members received jail terms totalling almost 40 years for plotting to supply cannabis with an estimated potential worth of more than £5m. They had taken over 10 rooms of the mansion for their criminal exploits.

Following the media publicity after the case, so-called urban explorers uploaded video footage of their trespasses on to social media - and it was after he commented in response that Hopkinson’s earlier illegal activity came to light.

He and a second man admitted stealing items - a microphone and a clock respectively - with t court case at the time being told they were “something like trophies, mementos, of the adventure they were involved in”.

Hopkinson admitted burglary and was handed a 12-month community order by a judge at Carlisle Crown Court who imposed 80 hours’ unpaid work.

Having made a “patchy” start to that punishment, Hopkinson was given extra hours by a judge in May for initially flouting the order.

And on Friday, he was back at the crown court, admitting his third breach having failed to report to his responsible officer on two dates.

Tim Evans told Judge James Adkin that Hopkinson’s punishment performance had been “pretty abject”, resulting in “multiple breaches”.

But with just five unpaid work hours remaining, Mr Evans said a financial penalty was proposed as punishment.

Paul Tweddle, for Hopkinson, of Edenhall, near Penrith, conceded: “His compliance has been poor. There is no doubt about that.”

But Hopkinson had kept out of further trouble, and was a qualified electrician working at Center Parcs.

“That (employment) seems to have come at the price of not prioritising the unpaid work,” said Mr Tweddle.

Yet Hopkinson had “pulled himself up by his boot laces” towards the end of his order.

“He is a young man whose priorities at times get somewhat skewed,” added Mr Tweddle. “He has assured me the remaining hours will be done within the next seven days.”

Judge Adkin concluded that jailing Hopkinson would be “unfair”, and told him: “By a hair’s breadth you gain your liberty today.” He must pay a £250 fine plus £150 costs.

Following the videos by the urban explorers the owners claimed it was broken into more than a dozen times.