AN inept but prolific burglar who hit himself over the head with a chair while trying to destroy a CCTV camera at a Falmouth cafe and bar has been sent to prison.

Peter Lee Williams, 41, who at the time of the offence gave his address as Trevethan Road, Falmouth appeared at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday for sentencing.

At an earlier hearing at Truro Magistrates Court he had pleaded guilty to breaking into the Windjammer Cafe and Bar in Grove Place on May 5.

The crown court was told that Williams had 32 previous convictions for 72 offences going back to 1997 and was last in court in February.

Outlining what had happened the prosecution said at 1am on May 5 this year, Williams had smashed a large window at the cafe causing over £450 worth of damage in the process.

He got inside and staff reviewing the CCTV footage the next day saw him hit himself on the head with a chair as he tried to destroy the CCTV camera and then going behind the bar.

He was then seen leaving the premises when the alarm started sounding. He was later identified by his liaison officer from a previous case.

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The court was told his first burglary offence was in December 1999 and was last in court on February 19 this year for which he received a sentence of nine months in prison suspended for two years for a burglary.

Defending Williams, his solicitor Robin Smith told Judge Simon Carr who gave him the suspended sentence that Williams had left the court with the judge's words "ringing in his ears".

However Judge Carr interrupted him saying: "They were not ringing in his ears when he was carrying out this offence."

Mr Smith admitted that a lot of people had put a lot of effort into setting Williams on the right path but he now found himself in "precarious position".

Sentencing Williams, Judge Carr told him: "You were seen on CCTV breaking into the cafe to see if there was anything worth stealing and attempting to destroy the CCTV camera."

He said an aggravating factor was the 32 court appearances for 72 offences with the last appearance in February.

He said Williams had been given all the help that could be given and he had given him a chance last time but he said Williams had "reached the end of the line".

“An enormous amount of support has been put in with you but none of that stopped you committing this offence and taking Class A drugs which you do on an almost daily basis," said Judge Carr.

He sentenced Williams to a total of eight months in prison for the breach of the suspended sentence and the burglary and a 12 month supervision order once he was released.