A Bolton judge has given a serial offender with a class A drug addiction another chance after hearing he was making efforts to turn his life around.

Ryan Haywood, of Chorley New Road, entered a home on Young Street, Farnworth, with the intent to steal.

Prosecutor Megan Edwards told the court that the occupier of the home had taken pain medication and forgotten to lock her doors on Saturday, February 24.

At nearly 4.30am, the occupant was woken up and went into her living room to ask ‘who is it’ when a man, identified later as Haywood, responded ‘it’s me, Ryan’, before changing his answer to ‘it’s me, Paul’.

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Ring doorbell footage shown to the court showed Haywood – who was under the influence of drugs – approaching the front door of the Young Street home several times 3.51am and 4.26am, and telling the occupant: “I’ve been beat up, I’ve been stabbed.”

Police were called, and an officer later recognised Haywood – who has seven previous convictions for 29 offences – from the footage provided.

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC said Haywood had “only just been released when he was back to burglary” at the time of the offence.

He was picked up by police on June 4 after being sighted at a pub in Farnworth. In custody, the court heard Haywood answered ‘no comment’ to all questions asked.

In a victim personal statement read out by Ms Edwards, the occupier says the incident made her feel ‘vulnerable and targeted’ and had increased her stress and anxiety.

She added: “It scares me that if he had come earlier, I would have been really deep in sleep because of the medication.”

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Defending, Graham Rishton noted that Haywood considered his own lifestyle and conduct as ‘disgusting’ and had made progress over the last few months, having been subject to a class A drug addiction for 10 years, and having previously been homeless.

Mr Rishton asked if Haywood could have a suspended sentence, telling the court that he ‘now has stable accommodation’ and is ‘addressing his class A drug addiction’, evidenced by two consecutive clean drugs tests.

Judge Clarke said he would instead defer sentencing for six months, bearing in mind that he would lose his accommodation and progress made if he were to be sent to custody immediately.

However, he had a stern warning for Haywood.

Adding that a prison sentence was ‘fully deserved’ for the offence,  Judge Clarke said if Haywood committed any further criminal offences in the six-month period or failed a drugs test, or did not obey rules and co-operate with his support worker, he would be going to prison.

In court, Mr Haywood said he was likely to fail an upcoming class B drugs test, which he had already told the probation service.

Judge Clarke added: “I will not consider a failure tomorrow a breach of this, but after that you need to consider if you fail a drugs test you will be going to jail for a significant period of time, so on your head be it.

“Any class A drugs, straight back to jail. Class B drugs, the probation service will deal with that, if they breach you then you’ll be going to jail.”

Sentencing was deferred to December 20.

Judge Clarke added: “I hope I don’t see you before 20 December. If I do, then bring a bag – you’re going to jail.”