A HEROIN-addicted thief given a suspended jail term walked straight out of the dock and back into crime, a court was told.

Jeffrey Graham, 30, was slammed by Judge Beverley Lunt for showing "no interest whatsoever" in taking the chance she had given him, and for displaying "utter contempt" for the court.

Graham, of Mason Street, Colne, was jailed for a total of 75 weeks at Burnley Crown Court.

He admitted five thefts and one attempted theft, and had been in breach of a 51-week jail term, suspended for 18 months, imposed last November. Graham had been committed for sentence by Burnley magistrates.

The court was told Graham, then using about £50 of drugs a day, went out shoplifting and struck three times the same day he was given the suspended term.

He also broke into two cars parked at Gala Bingo, in Burnley, was caught on CCTV and, when interviewed by police, said he could not remember because of his heroin habit. He had a record for dishonesty, burglary, vehicle interference, and assault, going back to when he was a juvenile.

Martin Hackett, defending, said: "In many ways they were committed before the supervision aspect had any chance to make any progress."