A burglar who was given a chance to tackle his drug habit has been jailed after he was caught trying to break into a garden shed just months after being given a suspended sentence.

Peter Stainsby was wrestled to the ground by a police officer after he tried to flee the scene when a householder spotted the 38-year-old in their rear garden.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant tried to punch and kick the arresting officer when he was caught in Redcar on April 24.

Stainsby was not charged in connection with the attempted break-in but was charged with obstructing a police officer after he lashed out when he was being arrested.

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Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said: “The defendant around the corner from the address and a police officer attempted to arrest and caution him. The defendant tried to make off and at some point, during the short pursuit, he tried punch the officer.

“The officer then took him to the ground and the defendant tried to kick the officer.”

The court heard how the defendant was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years for a burglary at a pharmacist in Middlesbrough town centre in October last year.

Stainsby, of Ennis Square, Dormanstown, Redcar, pleaded guilty to obstructing a police constable, possession of a Class B drug, and failing to surrender to police custody.

Tom Bennett, in mitigation, urged the judge not to impose the suspended sentence to enable his client to continue working to address his drug addiction.

He added: “The defendant is clearly somebody who still has an ongoing drug problem – that is the whole point of his DRR (drug rehabilitation requirement).

“He is somebody, who it would be better for the public, if he was remain in the community because if he goes back into custody, he will lose his stable accommodation and he loses his support network.”

Judge Howard Crowson told Stainsby that there was no alternative to custody after breaching the terms of his suspended sentence after committing another offence.

“It is really clear, if you reoffend, you go to prison,” he said. “In a relatively short time of the imposition of a suspended sentence for quite a serious burglary, you were committed this offence.

“The law is clear, I must activate the suspended sentence.”

Stainsby was sentenced to 12-months in custody with an additional year of supervision once he is released from prison.

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