A WOULD-BE burglar who claimed he was trying to hide from another man has been jailed.

David Pattinson tried to make his way into a home on Garner Street in Maryport only to find himself confronted with its owner – a doorman back from his shift – who punched him in the face.

Pattinson, who was using drugs while he committed the crime, was told to take the opportunity to go clean while in custody.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that the crime took place on November 1 and that the owner of the house had just come back from his shift at around 2.30am.

His wife was also still awake because one of their children was ill.

The man walked through to his kitchen and found Pattinson trying to open a window and get in.

He asked what Pattinson was doing and Julian Taylor, prosecuting, told the court his reply was: “Please don’t shout, I am hiding.” Pattinson later claimed this was from a man who was – and still is – serving a prison sentence.

Mr Taylor added that Pattinson then started to rummage in his pockets but no weapon was subsequently produced.

“He (the home owner) punched the defendant in the face in self-defence,” he said.

The police later arrived and arrested Pattinson, 25, who has a list of convictions dating back to 2001 and had only been released from prison for another crime the day before.

He originally pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted burglary but changed this to guilty when he appeared at court yesterday.

Brendan Burke, defending, told the court that Pattinson had a long-standing problem with heroin and was homeless at the time of the crime.

“He does have constructive plans to get away from the area,” he said, adding that he was moving to the north east.

Pattinson, whose address was given in court as Laurel Street, Wallsend, Newcastle, was sentenced to a year in prison and told to pay a £200 victim surcharge.

Judge Barbara Forrester, presiding, said: “I am told that you had been released from prison the day before and had been using drugs. This will be an opportunity for you take advantage of services available to you in prison.”