A CONVICTED drug dealer from the Isle of Wight told a court he broke into a pub in the middle of the night to retrieve his snooker cue.

George Williams, of St Johns Wood Road, Ryde, admitted non-dwelling burglary on September 26 last year, when he appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (September 3).

At around 2.30am, police received a report of the sound of "smashing and banging" from the Railway Inn public house, on St Johns Road in Ryde, close to where Williams lived.

When officers arrived, they discovered a smashed window to the men's toilets at the side of the property, said Lauren Stone, prosecuting.

After a short search, Williams was found hiding in a stock room, holding a bottle of wine.

Following his arrest, Williams claimed he broke in to retrieve his snooker cue.

Teeth marks were found on the cap of the wine bottle, and so could not be resold, the court was told.

Williams, with a criminal record of five previous convictions for 12 offences, caused £215 worth of damage to the pub window during the break-in.

The 25-year-old is currently serving a 20-week jail term, imposed by an Isle of Wight Crown Court judge last month, for flouting a court order.

Technically, Williams had flouted a suspended sentence order - a 26-week prison term, suspended for 18 months - less than three weeks after a crown court judge had imposed it on September 20 last year, for drug dealing.

For Williams, Oscar Vincent said his client, due to be released from jail on licence next month, did not go equipped for burglary and it was not planned.

Mr Vincent said Williams's offending behaviour was unusual, blaming the combination of drinking alcohol and taking Valium earlier that evening, coupled with bereavements of his grandparents.

"He went into the building with the intention of getting his snooker cue, but was instead found holding a bottle of wine," said Mr Vincent.

Mr Vincent, who described Williams's criminal behaviour as "impulsive and unsophisticated", said his client offered to pay the landlord for the window's repair and stolen wine.

Magistrates ordered Williams to pay £219.50 in compensation, with £85 costs.