A NORTH-EAST man who burgled a Gloucestershire pub for the money he needed to get to his home town was yesterday jailed for nine months.

Anthony Bolton, 43, told Gloucester Crown Court he stole £700 because he wanted to return to Darlington to kill himself. At the time of the raid, on New Year's Eve 2002, the court was told Bolton was depressed about having access to his child withdrawn following a conviction for firearms offences.

Defence barrister Giles Nelson said Bolton wanted to return home to Darlington to commit suicide.

Mr Nelson said that once Bolton got back, he received so much support from his family and friends that he changed his mind and settled in the town's Grange Road.

After hearing that Bolton committed the raid only months after he was placed on a community rehabilitation order and that he failed to keep in touch with his probation officer since going to Darlington, Judge Paul Darlow jailed him for nine months.

He said Bolton had put "two fingers up to the court" by his behaviour.

Earlier, the court was told that Bolton had been working as a cleaner at a bookmakers in Lydney when he broke into the neighbouring pub and stole the money.

He was not charged until October last year, when forensic tests found fragments of glass in his clothes.

He pleaded guilty to burglary, but failed to turn up for sentence. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was caught by police in Darlington last month.