A HOMELESS man who climbed into Buckingham Palace and broke into a cabinet has been jailed for 28 days.

Rough sleeper Steven Lawlor had been living on the streets of Brighton but went to London to get help with his drug problems.

He took posters from the cabinet to use as blankets and settled down in the Palace grounds, Westminster magistrates heard yesterday.

He was only spotted on CCTV four hours later, at about 5.40am, asleep.

Lawlor, 44, caused £210 damage to the cabinet and the posters during the incident on July 16 and was charged with criminal damage and trespassing on a protected site.

Lawlor was on conditional bail but licence but is currently in jail having been recalled to prison for throwing urine at a prison guard.

He appeared in court via video link and pleaded guilty to the two charges. He was due to appear on Tuesday and on Thursday but refused to leave his cell.

Henry Fitch, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was seen at around 5.40am on CCTV during a camera sweep lying within the protected site, Entree Green at the south east part of the grounds.

“Mr Lawlor was seen sleeping inside metal railings bordering Buckingham Palace. That’s a protected site.

“CCTV was rewound and showed at about 1am, some four hours prior, him pulling out the posters from a cabinet. He was then seen to climb over the railings and lying down, using them as bedding to sleep on.

“He lay there for four hours until he was seen by security staff.”

The court heard he had 70 previous convictions, many for criminal damage and one attempted robbery last year.

Most recently he was handed a 16-month sentence for throwing a toxic substance with intent to injure at a prison guard at Maidstone Crown Court in May.

As a result of being recalled to prison Lawlor could remain in jail until March next year.

He was sentenced to 28 days for trespass and 21 days for cirminal damage, to run concurrently.

Stephanie Dale, defending, said Lawlor was sorry and apologisedfor damaging the cabinet and trespassing.

Senior district judge Tan Ikram said: “I accept that you entered Buckingham Palace and grounds to sleep but you knew exactly where you were entering. You would know the impact in terms of the security, the costs and the consequences in relation to your actions. You have 70 previous convictions and this is an appalling catalogue of offending. In my view, in your circumstances, a community order isn’t an option.”

Lawlor, of no fixed address, was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge.