A would-be burglar has been jailed for three months after he left his blood at the scene of his failed burglary in Carlisle.

At the city's crown court, Anthony Sheckley, 49, whose criminal record includes 193 previous offences, admitted attempting to burgle a shipping container which was being used as makeshift shed by its owner at an address in the city.

Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, said the defendant tried to raid the shipping container but failed to get into it. It was being kept on the driveway of a home in Burnett Road, Carlisle.

The court heard that when the householder, Richard Percival, had left for work on the container was secure. But when he returned he noticed that there had been an attempt to interfere with it and there was a large quantity of blood on it.

The offence happened in February.

"A sample of the blood was taken and compared with records on the national data base and a match was found for the blood of Mr Sheckley," said Mr Rogerson.

Judge James Adkin told the defendant, of Sheehan Crescent, Raffles, Carlisle, that only custody was appropriate.

The defendant's criminal record comprises 57 convictions for 193 offences, though he could not be described as a persistent burglar, the court heard.

Many of the convictions were for shoplifting.

The defendant, who appeared via a video link, thanked the judge as he left the video booth to start his sentence.

He had initially planned to deny the offence but changed his mind after receiving legal advice from his barrister Kim Whittlestone.