A CAREER crook who has finally managed to kick his long-standing drugs addiction was congratulated by a judge.

Stephen O’Callaghan, 37, had been a heroin addict and prolific shop-lifter for ‘years and years’, but was now clean.

He had earlier been given a drugs programme by a court and had kept all his appointments, despite ‘agonising’ weekly treatment for Hepatitis C, Burnley Crown Court was told.

O’Callaghan, who has almost 200 convictions and has served time, had been out thieving again, but this time it was low value items because he was hungry, and not because he needed to feed his habit.

He struck while subject to a suspended jail term, but kept his freedom after winning over Recorder Robert Crawford.

O’Callaghan, who has spent most of his life in Burnley, moved to the Accrington area, but now lives in Shear Brow, Blackburn, had admitted two counts of theft, in breach of the suspended term, and had been committed for sentence from Hyndburn and Blackburn Magistrates’ Courts.

His current drugs rehabilitation requirement was extended by nine months and he was given a further community order of six months.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said the defendant took a bottle of champagne from Marks and Spencer, put it in a rucksack and walked out.

He was arrested and said he planned to sell it to buy food.

He also stole pancakes, honey and hot chocolate from Morrisons, so that he could have a meal.

At the time, O’Callaghan was subject to a 26-week prison sentence, suspen-ded for 18 months, with 18 months’ supervision and the drugs programme.

Daniel Prowse, for the defendant, said he had managed to rid himself of his addiction, despite the painful weekly medical treatment.

Recorder Crawford told O’Callaghan he had been ‘a local criminal for many years’, but the judge was impressed by the fact, that even though he had been subject to the ‘scourge’ of heroin for ‘year, after year, after year’, he had managed to do something about it. The judge said: “I suppose you have surprised many people. You have certainly surprised me.”

Recorder Crawford said: “I hope you continue with the efforts you have made to stay off heroin.”