Raider smashed both legs in bid to escape

Burnley Crown Court heard how Marco Freeston, 28, had been armed with a stun gun and had attacked the pub manager with a milk bottle.

Freeston suffered "horrific injuries" when he landed on the pavement 20 feet below the window - directly opposite Blackburn police station.

The defendant, who also broke into a 78-year-old woman's home after taking 24 temazepam tablets, was sent to prison for a total of three and a half years by recorder Harry Narayan.

Freeston, of Nuttall Street, Accrington, admitted aggravated burglary, assault causing actual bodily harm and burglary.

Fiorella Brereton, prosecuting, said the manager of FJ Nichols in Northgate, Blackburn, went upstairs to his flat and found Freeston with the video satellite decoder and a violent struggle followed. Freeston hit the manager with a milk bottle and then got a stun gun out of his pocket. The pub manager wrestled the gun from him and, when both were exhausted, went went to contact the police. Freeston was left in a room and the manager heard a smash. He went back in to see that the defendant had jumped from the bedroom window.

He suffered two broken legs and was taken to hospital by paramedics, while the pub manager had to have stitches to a cut.

Freeston also forced his way into a pensioner's home. He got into a taxi and after he got out a bin bag containing a video recorder was found to have been left in the vehicle.

Anthony Cross, defending, said Freeston had been "drug crazed," and suffered horrific injuries in the pub leap. The defendant, whose foot was turned the wrong way, was taken to Liverpool Royal Infirmary to a specialist fracture unit.

His legs were almost rebuilt and he still needed further surgery.

Freeston had been taking amphetamine and heroin, but since being remanded in custody he had been drug free and tests had been negative.

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