A MAN who was jailed in March for a string of burglary and motoring offences has been back before the courts to be sentenced for another crime.

Four months ago 20-year-old Leon Worsley appeared at Bolton Crown Court after admitting crimes including dangerous driving and breaking into a business.

Worsley, who was sentenced to two years and six months in a young offenders’ institution, has now been back before the same court, via a video link and admitted being a passenger in a stolen car which was driven dangerously during a police pursuit.

Rhia Abukhalil, prosecuting, told how, on September 13 last year, a woman’s Kia Sportage was stolen from her drive in Leigh.

Two days later, at 3am, police spotted it being driven on Radcliffe Moor Road, Bolton. Worsley was a passenger in the vehicle.

A stinger was deployed to deflate the tyres during a pursuit but the driver accelerated to 80mph.

“Given the stinger had been deployed he began to lose control at those speeds,” said Miss Abdukalil.

The car was eventually stopped and Worsley, of Le Gendre Street, Bolton, and the driver ran into a house, where they were arrested.

Kevin Liston, defending, stressed that Worsley, who pleaded guilty to the aggravated offence of being carried in a vehicle taken without consent, could have been sentenced for it when he appeared in court in March for his other crimes.

“The evidence was absolutely overwhelming, he admitted it but he wasn’t charged and was released under investigation. It is difficult to understand why,” commented the Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh.

He sentenced Worsley to three months in a young offenders’ institution for the offence, to run concurrently with the sentence he is already serving.