A YOUTH who escaped custody after sex with a schoolgirl in a park is now in detention, after police recognised him burgling a house.

Judge Raymond Bennett had deferred sentence on Daniel Brown, 19, after admitting unlawful sexual intercouse, but he was sent to a Young Offenders' Institution for 18 months -- one month for the sex offence -- after admitting burglary at Burnley Crown Court.

Brown, of Holme Close, Sough, Earby, was committed for sentence by Pennine magistrates.

John Marsh, prosecuting said the burglary victim left his home in Barnoldswick and, just after 6pm, police received a message a break-in was in progress.

The attended and the defendant, who they recognised, ran out of the premises and disappeared. When the householder got home at 9pm, he found his diazepan medication was missing.

Brown was on bail and a curfew but was not at his address. When he was later arrested, there was a struggle, but he was eventually taken into custody. He claimed he had nothing to do with the burglary and that police had misidentified him.

Richard Taylor, defending, said when sober, Brown was a bright, articulate young man with potential. He had earlier had a job, had been living with his mother and she had been supporting him.

He had lost the employment through no fault of his own, rowed with his girlfriend and the combination led him to relapse into drinking and taking too many pills. One of the people he believed he could get pills from was the burglary victim.

Mr Taylor said the defendant knew he was going to get a custodial sentence and that drink had been his downfall more than once.

Brown had originally been charged with rape of the 14 year old and was remanded in custody. He was then bailed and arrested on a second allegation of rape. He was in custody for 28 days before the Crown accepted the second charge did not hold water and it was discontinued.

The defendant had emphatically denied raping the 14 year old and thought the sex was consensual. Brown had thought she was 15 and at the time he was 18.