A HOMELESS man broke into a £300,000 yacht in the Solent in a bid to escape from the rain, according to his solicitor.

Barry Arnett said his client, Joshua Honan-Parr, 20, had been desperate for somewhere to sleep after he was left without housing support.

Honan-Parr, 20, admitted a charge of damaging the yacht at Cowes harbour and a further two charges of damaging storage boxes at a nearby block of flats.

Isle of Wight magistrates heard the boat's owner found Honan-Parr onboard the vessel dressed in only his boxer shorts.

Items inside the boat had been moved and £500 worth of damage caused.

The court was told Honan-Parr had also set up camp in the wheelie bin area at Admiral Gardens in the town.

Lockers had been broken open and items strewn about causing £275 worth of damage, said Ann Smout, prosecuting.

Honan-Parr told police he had been sheltering from the rain and just needed to get some sleep. He could not remember what had occurred at Admiral Gardens the previous evening.

For Honan-Parr, Mr Arnett said he was very worried about his client who had been in care but was not entitled to the full post care package given to leavers between the ages of 18 and 21, leading to him getting no support with housing.

He said: "He is 20 years old. He has been dabbling with terrible tablets called Xanax. People don't know what they are doing because they black out. He was desperate for somewhere to sleep.

"He needs some help. He needs somewhere to stay. It is down to the cutbacks. I don't know what they expect people like this man to do?"

Magistrates gave Honan-Parr a six-month conditional discharge and told him to pay a £20 victim charge.