A 25-YEAR-old Chorley man hooked on drugs resorted to trying to rob a jewellers in the town in a bid to fund his addiction.

Craig Lever, of Westwell Road, pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to attempted robbery and three thefts of household goods.

He was also on licence for a robbery of a garage for which he received a three-and-a-half year jail sentence.

Lever was ordered to serve 12 months of that sentence plus an additional four years for the attempted robbery making a total of five years. Judge Brian Duckworth said jeweller William Banks and his daughter Michelle must have been 'terrified' and it must have caused 'distress in the extreme'.

Mr Paul Brookwell, prosecuting, told the court the attempted robbery took place on October 17 last year at 10am and involved Michelle's jewellery shop on Harpers Lane, Chorley.

Lever went into the shop armed with a kitchen knife. He was told there was only £5 in the till as the takings had been banked.

Lever replied that was no good and then handed the knife to Mr Banks and left the shop. He was arrested 15 minutes later. Mr Philip Rouse, defending, said Lever became addicted to heroin at around Christmas 1999. Two weeks before the attempted robbery he had been in a psychiatric unit and was going to go to a rehabilitation centre, but that was delayed for a few days.

Lever was suffering from withdrawal symptoms and tried without success to borrow money.

The offence was 'a cry for help' as he wanted to get into a secure environment to get off heroin. He was now drug-free.