A bungling burglar who broke into a Penryn shop to steal cigarettes and alcohol narrowly avoided going to prison this week.

Luca Seaman, of Truro Lane, Penryn was arrested within hours of breaking into the town’s Costcutters on September 29.

The balaclava-clad 21-year-old was caught on CCTV smashing his way into the shop with a hammer before stumbling around and falling on to broken glass, cutting his hand.

Splashes of blood left at the scene would have eventually led the police to Seaman’s door, Truro Magistrates’ Court heard, but within two hours he was found in a nearby house thanks to the keen nose of a police dog and identified from the security footage.

Stolen goods were found in his bedroom as well as under a loose-fitting patio slab outside and Seaman, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to burglary at court last Thursday.

Martin Pearce, for the defence, said Seaman was a recovering alcoholic who had been “blind drunk” at the time.

His client was studying marine biology and intends to go to university, he added.

Handing down a suspended sentence, chair of the magistrates Fiona Roberts described Seaman’s actions as “sickening.”

He was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison suspended for two years, given a six month curfew for six nights of the week and made subject to a yearlong drink banning order. He was also ordered to pay compensation of £333.

Speaking after the court case, Costcutter store manager Ian McCabe said he was alerted to the break-in by an automated alarm that went off in the middle of the night.

When he arrived “just 30 seconds” after the police, the burglar had already vanished - leaving behind a trial of bloodied handprints and a record of his actions on CCTV.

“It was almost comical really,” Ian said of the footage.

“The guy had one glove on then one glove off and fell over at one point.

“But it was not very nice at the time.”

While break-ins in Penryn town centre are so rare that Ian can’t remember the Costcutter ever being targeted before, he was thankful for the fast police response that put his mind at rest.

He said: “I don’t think there was ever a chance of not getting him but the police were fantastic.

“They were brilliant, absolutely brilliant – they couldn’t have done any more for me.”