A MAN has been found guilty of burglary at a West Dorset holiday park after checking into another site nearby under a false name.

Anthony Bown, 51 of Brown Road, Charminster in Bournemouth, denied burgling Nisa convenience store at Park Dean Holiday Park in West Bay on July 4, 2014.

He claimed he stayed two miles away at Highland’s End holiday park in Eype that night, and at 12.15am — the time of the offence – had been asleep with his partner. 

During the trial at Dorchester Crown Court, a jury heard how Nisa was burgled and cigarettes, cigars and tobacco worth £3,300 were stolen.

Mark Ashley, prosecuting, said Bown and his partner Keron Bent had arrived at Highland’s End at 5pm on July 3, having booked under the names Mr A and Mrs K Bennett.

But during the early hours of July 4 a burglary had occurred nearby, with CCTV showing two people fiddling with the bottom of the store door. Entry was gained by smashing the glass of the store’s front door and forensic evidence showed drilling to the door.

The burglary was discovered at 7.15am the following morning and Bown was later arrested at Highland’s End at 9.15pm.

On his arrest, police discovered a camouflaged coat on his chair containing fragments of glass matching the glass from the store’s door. 

Police also searched the pair’s holiday tent, finding a head torch, various tools and a cordless drill set with one drill bit missing.

In police interview Bown claimed the coat was his friends, who he refused to name over ‘fear of his own life’. He said booking under a false name was a ‘bit of fun’ with his partner.

He denied ever visiting the Nisa store, and that his friend turned up at the couple’s tent at 5.30am ‘to say hello’ before leaving his coat behind.

CCTV showed the burglary continued until 1.21am and the couple’s car was seen leaving Highland’s End at 5.55am.

Guy Draper, mitigating, said there was no forensic link between the defendant and the coat itself meaning Bown could not be placed at the crime scene. 

Giving evidence, Bown said he put the coat on because it was raining. He said his partner left the park to get petrol at approximately 6am and she did not see his friend. 

He denied claims by Mark Ashley, prosecuting, that his story was ‘utter nonsense made to cover his tracks’.

The jury of five men and seven women took one hour and 42 minutes to reach a unanimous guilty verdict.

Sentencing for the case was adjourned until April 24.

Bown, who had two previous convictions for burglary in 2007 and 2013, was released on conditional bail.