Leo Arthur Lirette, of Belmore Road, admitted breaking into the waste management site in St. Philips Avenue on April 12, before it had opened for the day.
He was captured on CCTV climbing the entrance gate and wandering among the discarded rubbish. Lirette pleaded guilty to being found on an enclosed pemises when he appeared before the town's magistrates on Wednesday.
Alison May, prosecuting, said officers recognised Lirette and shouted after him. She said, "He was carrying a bag. Officers asked what was in the bag and he said a hammer, screws and some nails. He told police, 'I was only getting some stuff for my flat. I saw a really nice bike - I could have had it if I wanted'." Lirette told officers at the scene he had only intended stealing items to furnish his flat but maintained he had not taken anything and that what was in his bag had come from his flat.
Stuart Grace, defending, said Lirette's crime was at the 'bottom of the sphere for offences'. He added, "He was going to the waste management site to find things to furnish his flat with. It strikes me as a little bit sad that he has to find things in this way. He was only going to take items that people had thrown away."
Magistrates gave Lirette a 12-month conditional discharge, ordered him to pay £60 costs and warned him over his future conduct.