Rossendale burglar, 23, with 'dreadful record' jailed for four years (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Rossendale burglar, 23, with 'dreadful record' jailed for four years

11:21am Tuesday 22nd November 2011 in Whitworth By Wendy Barlow, Court reporter

A PROLIFIC burglar from Rossendale, said to have an ‘absolutely dreadful’ criminal record despite being aged just 23, has been jailed for four years.

Judge Beverley Lunt, sitting at Burnley Crown Court, warned Jamie Fairclough that his prison sentences would only get ‘longer and longer’ if he failed to reform.

Last year Fairclough, of Eastgate, Whitworth, was jailed for 876 days after confessing to 22 home and commercial burglaries, to feed his drugs habit.

And three years before that he was sent to a young offenders’ institution for 27 months for burgling a Whitworth home, stealing the householder’s car, and writing it off in a crash.

This time around Fairclough was in the dock after admitting two burglaries and taking a car without consent.

Richard Taylor, defending, said Fairclough had been out of prison on licence and was living with his mother, when he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

Fairclough had been told he would effectively be returned to prison for any breach of his licence, so he went ‘on the run.’

He began using amphetamines while on the streets and admitted he carried out the burglaries in a bid to steal cars.

The car had not been damaged, after the second burglary, and he had been accompanied by other offenders during the first break-in.

Fairclough had taken forklift truck driving qualifications but there was little work available, added Mr Taylor.

Jailing him, Judge Lunt said: “You have got an absolutely dreadful record for burgling people’s homes and stealing their cars.”