A REPEAT offender has been given a three-year ASBO banning from having any contact with his ‘partner in crime’.

Blackburn magistrates heard Craig Patrick Grant was a prolific thief convicted of many offences of vehicle interference and theft from vehicles.

And after his latest convictions for those offences, when he asked for 13 offences to be taken into consideration, the police applied for and anti-social behaviour order to be made against him.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Grant had 59 convictions for 146 offences and many of those committed in recent years had been in the company of Mark Anthony McAllister, 32.

She told the court the Asbo would effectively stop them operating as a criminal duo.

“They have very much been partners in crime and the police seek this Asbo to stop them associating with each other which in turn will help stop crime,,” said Miss Allan.

Michael Blacklidge, defending, said Grant conceded that much of his offending in recent years had been in the company of Mr McAllister.

He said, as a result, his client would not oppose the order.

“He has been banned from having any contact with that individual as a condition of bail and does not oppose the making of the Asbo,” said Mr Blacklidge.

Grant, 41, of Exeter Street, Blackburn, agreed to the three year ASBO.

The only condition is that he has no contact with Mark Anthony McAllister, who was born on 24 December 1980.

Mr Blacklidge said the date of birth was included in the condition because there is another Mark McAllister living in Blackburn and he wanted to avoid any possible confusion between the two men with the same name.