A would-be burglar convicted of trying to smash his way into a hair salon has been jailed for 30 months.

A judge at Carlisle Crown Court blasted Neil Andrew Ivison for mounting a “ludicrous” defence during his trial.

Ivison, 37, had denied attempting to burgle Barberella Hair and Beauty, Vulcans Lane, Workington, in the early hours of May 23. He also pleaded not guilty to having an axe, when police caught him red-handed at the crime scene.

But after hearing evidence, a jury found him unanimously guilty of both crimes.

Ivison, of Hunday Court, Workington, was jailed. He had also previously admitted stealing meat from Aldi earlier in May.

A man with 102 offences on his record, Ivison was also in breach of a suspended jail term imposed at the crown court last year for starting and finishing a brutal 40-minute gang attack in Workington.

Jurors heard this week how neighbours had heard loud banging from the rear of Barberella’s at just before 5am. Police found Ivison next to a partially forced back door in which glass had been smashed.

He was seen to have tiny glass fragments on his head and was holding a bag which contained the axe and a lump hammer.

Ivison had claimed that two other men carried out the crime while he innocently looked on. The men then fled, leaving behind the bag.

He had also insisted he was a friend of the salon owner, identifying her as Barberella and admitting he did not know her full name.

About £400 damage was caused to the forced door.

Greg Hoare, defending, said Ivison’s offending had followed the breakdown of a relationship and his dog being snatched from him. It was not drugs-related, as past offences had been.

Jailing Ivison, Judge Peter Davies described his trial defence as “ludicrous”.

He said of the hair salon: “It is a small business – a small business run by a single person. Small businesses in these economic times cannot bear the sort of inconvenience, damage and destruction that you imposed.”