A CRIMINAL who has racked up 17 sets of convictions at the age of 20 is behind bars after offending while on a suspended jail term.

Burnley Crown Court heard that Joshua Robert Percy Varey had been given the suspended term for assault after he punched and kicked his victim.

He then broke into E A Foulds Ltd, a lift company in Colne, where he had to be brought down from the roof by the fire brigade.

He also stole a satnav from a BMW.

The defendant, of Duke Street, Colne, admitted burglary and theft and had been committed for sentence by Burnley magistrates.

He was sent to a Young Offenders’ Institution for nine months.

Judge Andrew Woolman told him: “You are not a very good thief or burglar.

“You get caught all the time, but you are very persistent.”

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, said the defendant had 17 sets of convictions for 24 offences and had first appeared before magistrates at the youth court.

Philip Holden, for Varey, said he had done part of the suspended sentence order.

Varey had complied with some of the supervision, he added.