A THIEF was caught red-handed burgling a shed in Farnworth after a neighbour looked out of her window and spotted sparks coming from a garden.

At the time of the break-in, at the property in North Avenue, Farnworth, Damien Greenhalgh was serving a community sentence for another burglary.

Bolton Crown Court heard how, on January 23, a woman was woken by noise coming from the back of her home.

“From her window she saw the defendant crouched down at her adjoining neighbour’s garden.

“She saw sparks coming from where the defendant was and noticed that the fence had been raised so that he could enter the garden and shed.”

Greenhalgh had removed two bikes from the shed, along with a box of Halloween costumes and a power tool and, inside the building, he had attempted to remove the wheel lock from a motorcycle.

After spotting a torch shining in the shed the neighbour contacted the police, who were quickly on the scene and arrested 44-year-old Greenhalgh.

When searched Greenhalgh had various tools on him and a plastic tub containing Pregabalin tablets.

The thief was taken to hospital after he appeared to swallow the partial contents of the container but he was later discharged and remanded in custody.

Greenhalgh, of St Gregory’s Close, Farnworth, had a lock knife on him and the Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh was told that, at the time, he was on bail after he was caught with a combat knife stuffed down his sock in Bolton town centre on December 3 last year.

Greenhalgh who has convictions for 60 previous offences, including several for theft, pleaded guilty to burglary and two counts of possessing a bladed article.

Nicholas Ross, defending, said: “Many of his offences, dating back 20 years or more, are related to the use and abuse of substances.

He added that he had remained offence free for a five year period until the death of his grandmother last year.

“He relapsed into taking heroin and other substances and there was a quick downward spiral,” said Mr Ross, was added that Greenhalgh is now “highly motivated” to change his life for the better.

Appearing via a video link from Forest Bank prison, Greenhalgh was jailed for 18 months.

Judge Walsh told him: “Only an immediate sentence of custody can be justified.”