A BURGLAR left a brick factory business £20,000 out of pocket after an unwanted intrusion at its premises, a court was told.

Ryan David Armstrong entered Eldon Brick Factory, in Eldon, near Bishop Auckland, via a window and removed a compressor and piping, between July 13 and 15 this year.

Durham Crown Court heard his movements were captured on cctv as he caused damage removing the stolen items.

Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said a director of the business estimated with the repair cost, the bill was in the region of £20,000, as the company was uninsured.

The court heard Armstrong went on to commit further crimes over the space of a few weeks in July and August.

Mr Soppitt said Armstrong was stopped at the wheel of a van, which he was not insured to drive, in Bishop Auckland, at midnight on August 6.

A roadside test revealed the presence of cocaine, but Armstrong refused to give a blood sample at the police station.

He was bailed but then failed to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court, on August 15.

Twelve days later he was in a dangerous high-speed police chase after being spotted driving a Vauxhall Astra near Rushyford roundabout, at about 8pm.

Seeing police, he accelerated to 70-mph in a 40-limit area, straddled centre white lines and, entering Coundon, was on the wrong side of the road, narrowly avoiding a collision, before he abruptly braked, causing the pursuing police officer to take swift evasive action.

As the chase reached Bishop Auckland, Armstrong flouted four red lights, took blind bends and drove straight out at junctions, as well as repeating his sudden braking manoeuvre.

The ten-minute chase ended when he abandoned the car on a dirt track in West Auckland.

He swore at officers as he fled on foot, but was caught and detained, and refused to provide a sample for police. His car number plate was stolen.

The defendant, 42, of Eggleston Walk, St Helen Auckland, admitted burglary, dangerous driving, handling stolen goods, failing to surrender to bail and two counts each of failing to provide a specimen for police and driving without insurance.

Helen Towers, mitigating, said despite his record of 27 convictions for 53 offences, Armstrong went offence-free for six years after forming a relationship and while working as a labourer.

But, after the breakdown of that relationship he turned to drugs and crime, and, despite his record, Miss Towers said this was his first taste of custody.

Judge Jonathan Carroll imposed composite sentences of 25 months and 14 weeks and banned Armstrong from driving for three years and one month.