A MAN ripped a wooden board off a door to gain entry to an unoccupied flat and demolished a breeze block wall to get into the shop underneath.

Blackburn magistrates heard blood found inside the shop provided a DNA connection to Marcel Grigoras.

Grigoras, 30, of Rhoda Street, Nelson, pleaded not guilty to burglary at the Premier Store, Leeds Road, Nelson, and theft of a laptop computer.

He was convicted in his absence when he failed to turn up for the trial.

He pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to bail on the trial date and was jailed for two weeks for that offence and a further six weeks for the burglary.

He was ordered to pay £1,500 compensation.

Scott Parker, prosecuting, said the manager of the store was walking past when he noticed the boarded-up door of the upstairs flat had been removed.

He called the police and they discovered the breeze block wall at the top of the stairs, which separated the flat from the shop, had been knocked down.

“The safe looked like it had been tampered with, but not entered, and a laptop computer was missing,” said Mr Parker.

“The owner of the property estimated the damage caused to be about £1,200 and the laptop was valued at £500.”

The court heard Grigoras claimed he had been taunted by some men and had forced his way into the flat to avoid them.

He was adamant he had not stolen the laptop.

Gareth Price, defending, said his client had an explanation but because he hadn’t turned up for his trial he wasn’t able to put it forward.