A BURGLAR was high on crack cocaine and heroin when he broke into two industrial premises on Deeside.

Aiden Mark Jukes, 31, of Barnston Avenue in Ellesmere Port, said to have blown his inheritance on drugs, admitted burglary at the Double Check premises and the Easyspace premises both in Minerva Avenue off Sealand Road, Sealand, on July 27 this year.

Jailing him for 15 months at Mold Crown Court, Judge Niclas Parry said that the defendant had an appalling record for dishonesty.

“I have counted two dwelling house burglaries and 13 burglaries other than a dwelling,” he said.

The present offences were planned.

Together with two others he had gone out disguised and equipped and targeted the two premises, where they caused substantial damage.

“One day the penny will drop,” the judge told him.

“The longer you commit offences of this nature, the longer the sentences will become.”

His only true mitigation was his early guilty plea, said the judge.

Kate Meredith Jones, prosecuting, told how police were called to the Sealand Avenue area at about 4.15am on July 29 following a report that people were acting suspiciously in the industrial area.

Officers saw three people with darkened faces and black clothing running down the side of a building out of site and gave chase.

A police dog handler caught one man and the defendant was caught after he was chased and captor spray was used on him.

His response to caution was “the stuff I nicked is in my back pocket” and cash was recovered from him.

In the police station, he admitted that he had stole a mobile phone.

Interviewed, he told police that he was high on crack cocaine and heroin when he committed the burglary.

A search of the area outside Double Check revealed a pair of bolt cutters, a miner’s lamp with a light and a crowbar.

A computer and a cheque book had been moved towards the door.

Later a further burglary was reported at the Easyspace company.

A total of 12 rooms had been entered and internal doors, which had just been replaced at a cost of £5,000 following an earlier burglary, were damaged.

Robin Boag, defending, said that his client knew is what not a case of what sentence to impose, but a case of how long the prison sentence should be.

His client had a long history with drugs, particularly crack cocaine.

He previously had access legitimately to money when his father died.

Jukes had effectively spent all that money on drugs. His older brother had died of cancer and the defendant and his mother had a close bond.

The defendant knew that he had to tackle his drugs problem and move away from the negative influences.

The court heard another man was awaiting committal to the crown court charged with the two burglaries.