A HOMELESS man broke into a music shop to steal the instruments he needed to become a busker.

Drifter Paul Anthony Davis, 28, took a banjo and a ukelele, as made famous by Lancashire entertainer George Formby.

But the episode didn't "turn out nice again" and he ended up with 56 days' imprisonment.

Davis smashed the front window of the Musicroom store in Falkland Square, Poole, in the early hours of last Thursday and took the two instruments, valued at £141.99.

After being alerted by security guards, police arrived at the shop and searched the premises but found no one.

However, when police checked the town's CCTV footage it showed a man breaking into the shop and heading into a cycle shed near Poole Railway Station. When police went to the cycle shed they found Davis with the musical instruments whom they recognised from the CCTV footage and he was arrested.

When questioned by police, "prolific offender" Davis refused to comment, even when shown the CCTV footage.

He later pleaded guilty at Bournemouth Magistrates Court to theft of the instruments.

Davis has "an extensive record" of similar offences, clocking up 64 convictions and a total of 112 offences, magistrates heard.

Mark Price, defending, said Davis stole the instruments because he wanted to improve himself by taking up busking and that he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Mr Price said: "He has become quite institutionalised after spending quite a lot of his life in custody. As a result he doesn't sign on and has been able to get money through begging.

"He decided he shouldn't be begging and would try busking but needed an instrument. For that reason he broke into the shop and took the items. He accepts he shouldn't have done it."

Jailing Davis, chairman of the bench Wynn Jones told Davis that he was not suitable for a community sentence because of his prolific offending.

  • The headline for this story came from 2CR listener Tony from Bournemouth.