A PERSISTENT thief who raided cars to fuel his heroin habit was jailed for ten months by magistrates yesterday.

Gary Drummond, 37, admitted three counts of theft, one of heroin possession and one of resisting a police officer at South Durham Magistrates' Court in Newton Aycliffe.

The court heard that the offences were committed less than a month after he was released from prison.

The goods he admitted stealing from cars in Darlington, including alloy wheels, a CD player and a digital camera, were worth more than £1,400. He also asked for 18 other offences to be taken into consideration.

James Thomas, prosecuting, said Drummond, of Grange Road, Darlington, became very agitated and attempted to escape when police officers went to his home to arrest him.

He later admitted the thefts and said he carried them out to fuel a £30-a-day heroin habit.

Graham Hunsley, in mitigation, said father-of-five Drummond had found it very difficult to turn his life around after leaving jail.

The magistrates gave Drummond a five-month prison sentence for each theft offence, to run concurrently.

He was also given a five-month term, to run consecutively, for drug possession.