A RAIDER who targeted a newsagent's rang a taxi from the shop and escaped with a £3,000 haul - while the owner slept in the back room.

Craig Kennedy, 30, had been sent to prison for 27 months for two burglaries in November, 1997. A year later he was given probation for a garage burglary and four days later struck at the newsagents, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Sentencing Kennedy, Recorder Bernard Lever, sitting with a magistrate, described him as a 'professional burglar' and 'very cool customer.'

He added: "This was very calculated and you seriously ignored the chances you had been previously given."

Kennedy, of Lord Street, Brierfield, was sent to prison for a total of 30 months. The sentence included six months he must serve of the previous sentence, still unexpired, three months on revocation of the probation order when he was re-sentenced and 21 months after he admitted burglary and was committed for sentence by Pennine magistrates. Kendal Lindley, prosecuting, said the newsagent and tobacconist had been asleep in the back lounge of the shop after a busy day. He went upstairs for a wash in the early hours and when he became down, he found he had been burgled.

The shopkeeper found five drill holes in the door, glass broken and the keys had then been used to open the door. After police made inquiries, police found stolen property at the defendant's brother's home and then at Kennedy's home. Kennedy, who had phoned a taxi from the shop, was charged by police.

Paul Hague, defending, said Kennedy formerly had a heavy heroin addiction, but had made efforts to go straight. He had got a job but went straight back to crime when he was laid off. He had the power to stay out of trouble and had given satisfactory service to his former employee, even though he had still been an addict at the time.

While in prison, Kennedy had been on a drug rehabilitation course and had been clean for the first time in 12 years. He had not used heroin since he went into prison at the end of 1997, but when he was released he had accumulated drugs debts. The burglary was set up for Kennedy to commit in part-payment.

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