A HOMELESS man has appeared in court for attempting to steal clothes from a building site to keep himself warm.

Brendan Paul McCluskey, 42, got into a site belonging to G&AM Lawson on Gray Street, in Workington, and tried doors of diggers to see if he could find clothes or a sleeping bag.

At a hearing at the magistrates’ court in Workington on Friday, his defence solicitor pleaded with the court to have sympathy for his situation.

Magistrates handed him a fine and a community order.

The court heard the incident happened on January 26, two days after he was given a conditional discharge for possession of class B drugs.

Emily Smith, defending, said McCluskey, of Duke Street in Cleator Moor, had made a full admission to police and told them that had he found items of clothing he would have stolen them.

She said: “Despite giving an address in court today, he is homeless.

“We’ve all suffered the weather in the last two to three weeks and the prospect of being homeless during this bad weather is horrendous. He wasn’t even looking for somewhere to sleep, just something to keep him warm.”

Diane Jackson, prosecuting, said: “During the police interview he said he had spent the day looking in bins, he bought an ice cream and brought it into Subway and had that with a cup of tea.

“He saw the building site behind Subway and tried some digger doors. No-one was working there at the time, but he wanted to see if there were items in there that he intended to steal.”

Miss Smith said McCluskey had been diagnosed with borderline schizophrenia, but due to an open wound in his leg he was unable to take his medication. She added he was in receipt of benefits, but was struggling financially after being the victim of a street robbery recently.

She pleaded with magistrates to consider his circumstances. She said: “Money was taken from him, but he decided not to report it to police for fear of reprisal.

“He has been struggling generally, there’s a lot he’s going through and I ask you to consider a further order of discharge to allow him some time and to have some sympathy as to why he committed this offence.”

Miss Smith said the defendant was hoping to get some support with housing, once he was back on medication for his mental health.

Magistrates handed McCluskey a £40 fine and a community order, requiring him to take part in up to 15 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.