ONE of East Lancashire's most hapless criminals was yesterday behind bars again - four days after being released on his 34th birthday.

Burnley magistrates heard Joseph Farrelly Phillips, while high on amphetamine, was spotted wandering up driveways and trying to open a garage door in the early hours.

The £20-a-day addict, now with about 150 previous convictions, struck just two days after winning his freedom.

The defendant, said by his solicitor to be on a "never ending merry go round," was jailed for 28 days of which he should serve half. But he must first serve 35 days of an recent unexpired sentence imposed for driving while disqualified, for which he was given a six-month conditional discharge.

Phillips, of Alan Haigh Court, Colne, admitted being found on enclosed premises in Castle Road, Colne, and possessing amphetamine.

He made headlines last summer when he ended up almost paying for crime with his life.

Phillips had been trying to syphon petrol from a car but had cut the suspension pipe instead.

The vehicle had collapsed, the defendant had been trapped and was only rescued by police who jacked up the car as he struggled to breathe.

Afterwards Phillips, who was set to see a neuro-surgeon because of his injuries, said he wanted to get his life together and settle down.

Sue Riley, prosecuting yesterday, said a householder saw the defendant crouched down looking into his car. He called the police. Phillips then went up another drive, tried to open a garage and opened a trailer.

Phillips then ran away when he saw the police car. An officer on foot patrol shouted to Phillips to stop and claimed he had a dog with him. The defendant did stop and was arrested.

Brian Irlam, defending, said that when Phillips was released from custody, drug pushers were at him, he would run up debts and then commit crime.

Despite efforts to wean himself off drugs, and the probation service's attempts of help him, the merry go round never stopped.

Mr Irlam said that after his release from prison last Friday, Phillips had been hoping to go to his mother's. But she lived in sheltered accommodation meant for a single person.