A 25-year-old Blackburn man sought solace in drugs when a relationship went wrong and he ended up in hospital following a violent attack by his partner's new love.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Paul Dennis Mulcahy had turned his back on heroin and started a new life in Bournemouth. But he again found himself on the slippery slope after being hospitalised with a broken jaw and a broken leg.

Mulcahy, 25, of Waterloo Close, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to burglary at the creche at Queen's Park Hospital and theft of a video recorder and CD player, and theft from Gaskell plc, Altham industrial estate, of a lap top computer.

He was made subject to a community rehabilitation order for two years. Eddie Harrison, prosecuting, said that when interviewed about the creche burglary Mulcahy told police he had a drug problem and had thought he was breaking into the pharmacy.

At Gaskell he was seen walking across the shop floor carrying the lap top and staff had detained him until police arrived. He said he had initially gone into the offices and taken a compliments slip which he intended to show at the benefits office to prove he had been looking for a job.

Basharat Ditta, defending, said that Prior to the offences Mulcahy had steered clear of trouble for three years. He was living in Bournemouth where he had a relationship, a child and a job. "Unfortunately, his partner became involved with another man and there was a violent attack on my client," said Mr Ditta. "That resulted in him being hospitalised for a long time and, having accepted that the relationship was over, he moved back to Blackburn."

Mr Ditta said Mulcahy was very depressed and sought solace in drugs. "Within a very short period of time he found himself back on the slippery slope and said it was like experiencing deja vu," said Mr Ditta.

"He said to himself that he had been here before, done that and got the t-shirt. It was not a prospect he relished and he wanted help."