A FORMER soldier who threw away a last chance offered by the courts was jailed for nine months by Blackburn magistrates.

John Mark Duckworth breached probation orders, failed to answer bail and continued to steal from shops. And he had disregarded a deferred sentence imposed in October to give him a chance to sort his life out.

Duckworth, 25, was said to have a Blackburn address but Phillip Potter, prosecuting, said the lady who lived there had contacted the police to say he was not welcome. He pleaded guilty to three charges of shoplifting, to breaching probation orders imposed for handling stolen goods and shoplifting and was dealt with for a burglary for which sentence had previously been deferred.

Stipendiary magistrate Jonathon Finestein said the former soldier's life was a mess as a result of his heroin habit.

"Your addition is so strong that you need to steal to feed it," said Mr Finestein. "You are so gripped by the drug that you cannot even respond when the court gives you a chance and any young person who is tempted to try drugs should look at you and see how dangerous it is."

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said Duckworth came from a hard working, respectable family. When he left school at 16 he joined the army and when he left, three years later, got a job. It was at that stage he began to drift into drug abuse and his problems started.

"His family were very supportive in the early stages but you have now heard he is not welcome at his grandmother's home," said Mr Blacklidge.

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