A WOULD-be jail breaker who made a freedom bid removing his cell window bars suddenly realised he was five floors up, a court was told.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Samuel Horsfall, 23, tried to escape even though he felt safe in prison and was becoming institutionalised.

He and an accomplice were soon thwarted -- and the defendant's barrister said he didn't know what they thought they were going to achieve on the fifth floor.

Horsfall, who is constantly in and out of custody, is back there again after ramming a patrol car in a high speed police chase. At the time he was disqualified from driving, three days out of jail and on licence.

His antics left two police officers hurt and the defendant was himself injured when he put up a struggle during arrest.

Judge Barbara Watson told Horsfall his record made "profoundly depressing reading". He had five previous convictions for dangerous driving and eight for banned driving. The latest offences involved excessive speed and put other road users at risk.

Horsfall clearly had no respect for court orders and it was fortunate his behaviour behind the wheel so far had not inflicted more serious injury on anybody.

The judge added the defendant, assessed as a high risk of reoffending, was "completely wasting" his life, spending most of it in prison.

Horsfall, of Spencer Street, Burnley, was sent to custody for two years. He admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and resisting a police arrest.

Mark Stuart, defending, said Horsfall's mother had died when he was nine, he had lacked parental control and had been in and out of care. A number of his older brothers had been in trouble and the defendant had been on drugs by the time he was 13. He had ended up with a £50-a-day habit but had now rid himself of his addiction.

Horsfall had had no secondary education but while on remand had acquired some skills. He was going to have to decide if he was going to follow the rest of his family who would probably carry on getting in trouble or make a break.

Mr Stuart told the court he could not say Horsfall would never offend again but he would have to change or face becoming institutionalised. He felt safe in prison.

The barrister said the defendant committed the offences when he panicked. The officers were not seriously injured and Horsfall ended up worse off. Mr Stuart went on: "The defendant was slightly more seriously injured but it could be said he got his just deserts for resisting arrest."