A 46-YEAR-OLD man, with a "woeful" criminal record for dishonesty, was told by a judge that he was too old to keep offending.

Dean Coleman was one of four men "up to no good" at a commercial garage in Batley.

Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday they climbed over a fence into the premises and Coleman got into the driver's seat of a £20,000 Mercedes 200, which was being repaired in April last year, and drove off with it. The valuable car was not recovered.

A month later Coleman was stopped in a car by police in Little Horton Lane, Bradford, and arrested.

Coleman, of Mary Street caravan site, Laisterdyke, Bradford, pleaded guilty to burglary and driving while disqualified.

He appeared in court with his hand bandaged, and his solicitor advocate, Simon Hustler, explained that his client had been injured that morning rescuing his father and his prized possessions from an "inferno which has reduced the caravan to nothing".

Mr Hustler said it was a measure of his changed attitude that Coleman had come to court instead of going to hospital. He had stayed away from offending for a year and for the first time in his life had gained employment, as a car valeter.

Judge Mark Savill sentenced Coleman to 19 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, with 150 hours unpaid community work. He was ordered to pay £1,000 costs at £20 per week.