A MAN arrested in a car with stolen property stashed on the back seat had no idea he had broken into a flat because he was so high on drugs, a court was told.

Wayne Walker then struggled so violently with the police he ripped an officers trousers beyond repair. Walker, aged 32, of Sandpiper Close, Farnworth, appeared at Bolton Crown Court and admitted burglary, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, assaulting a police officer with intent to resist arrest, taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and driving without insurance. The court heard that Walker had nine previous appearances in court for driving while disqualified, three for reckless driving and one for dangerous driving, among other convictions.

Walker, it was claimed, had "gone off the rails" after his father died last year. He wasjailed for three years three months, banned him from driving for two years and ordered he take an extended re-test to get his licence back.