A father must do 100 hours community work after sneaking around a building site with a knife and bolt croppers.
City magistrates heard that Jason Cawthorne's wife was ill and he had no food for his three children when he set out at night.
While inside the site on Queen Street, he found a Stanley knife, said Nikki Carlisle, who represented Cawthorne, 32, of Longford Crescent, Bulwell .
"It would have been used as a tool to assist with theft," said Miss Carlisle, who added: "There was no food in the house, no way of feeding his children and in desperation he had gone out with the bolt croppers."
A 16-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, was imposed on Cawthorne. He admitted going equipped for theft and having a bladed article.
Emma Wakefield, prosecuting, said that a security officer was alerted about an intruder on the site at around 11pm on May 25.
At around 1am, a takeaway cafe worker was leaving work on Arkwright Street and saw a man discard two items in the road. Police sirens were sounding in the background.
Officers found the knife and bolt croppers, added Miss Wakefield.
Presiding magistrate Andrew Burton told Cawthorne: "You have got to keep out of trouble for the next 12 months. I hope you understand the rationale behind the sentence.
"We have taken account of your circumstances." Cawthorne replied: "Thank you very much."
