Darlington cocaine addict given final chance to avoid jail after drug binges

Luke Pemberton broke his curfew on a number of occasions when he failed to return home on time after going on a drug binge.

The 28-year-old was given a two year prison sentence, suspended for two years, in July last year after he tried to rob a store armed with a six inch car wrench.

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He admitted attempted robbery of a shopkeeper in Darlington but 'bottled it' when the businessman fought back.

As part of his sentence he given 120 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days to carry out, adhere to a six month curfew and ordered to pay £500 in costs.

Teesside Crown Court heard it was the curfew element of the sentence that had proved to be his undoing.

Outlining the original offence, Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said: "The defendant walked into a convenience store of Park Lane, Darlington, he sought out a member of staff and threatened the man with an aluminium bar, he had the sense to arm himself with a bottle and the man retreated.

"He has a major problem with cocaine and was attempting to steal money to fund it."

Mr Soppitt said the breaches of the curfew occurred in August just weeks after appeared in court.

In mitigation, Michele Turner, said Pemberton, of Headlam Road, Darlington, admitted the breaches and said they happened when he was taking cocaine.

She said: "It was made clear to him that he couldn't be, in any circumstances, in his partner's house if he was under the influence of drugs. He decided to stay away because he was under the influence – it was the lesser of the two evils."

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The judge, Recorder Darren Preston, gave the defendant one final to stay out of prison.

He said: "No doubt you were told that is you breach your curfew you would be brought back before the courts and you would serve some or all of your suspended sentence.

"You obviously didn't listen because you stand here again in breach of that order."

He was ordered to carry out an extra five RAR days.