A MAN who went on a spending spree using a credit card that had been delivered to his mother's address by mistake was jailed for four months by Blackburn magistrates.

Lee John Barton, 22, of Snowdon Avenue, Blackburn, ran up a bill of £1,192 using the card to buy luxury goods.

But his spree ended when he tried to buy a £189 bracelet from the Gold Centre and an assistant recognised him.

Barton pleaded guilty to theft of the Barclaycard in the name of F M Small and two offences of obtaining property by deception. He asked for 12 similar offences to be taken into consideration.

Elizabeth Reed, prosecuting, said the credit card had been delivered to Barton's mother's home address.

He used it to buy jewellery from Argos and a number of other shops before going into the Gold Centre.

He tried on a number of gold bracelets before selecting one and offering the stolen credit card for payment. The assistant queried the transaction when she noticed the card was not valid until April - the next month - and another assistant recognised Barton.

Mrs Reed said Barton had been convicted of attempted deception and handling stolen goods in November of last year when he had been put on probation for two years.

In February this year, shortly before the latest offences were committed, he had been dealt with for breach of probation.

John Swindells, defending, said Barton had turned to alcohol at a time when he thought the whole world was on his shoulders.

"He has now turned over a new leaf and has the full support of his family," he said.

Barton's mother, Blackburn with Darwen councillor Gail Barton, cried when sentence was passed.

As her son was led away handcuffed to a Group 4 court custody officer, she called to him: "We are here for you."

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