Wigan man told he faces a lifetime of prison sentences unless he cleans up his act

A serial offender has been told he has a lifetime of prison sentences “to look forward to” if he fails to clean up his act.
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The comments came as James Ahearne, from Pemberton, was jailed for 12 months for stealing hundreds of pounds worth of items from a family home.

Ahearne, 21, was charged with burgling a house and theft from a vehicle, after he was caught on CCTV footage taking a designer bike, jacket and rucksack from the Orrell Road property.

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During a sentencing hearing at Bolton Crown Court, Judge Graeme Smith heard how the persistent offender had been seen going into the Peugeot parked outside the home before coming out with a North Face jacket. He was then seen heading towards the house and out of view, returning a short-time later wheeling a £1,000 cycle with a Berghaus rucksack on his back.

Ahearne was apprehended after a discarded Coca-Cola can found in a bin in the garage tested positive for his DNA.

The court heard how Ahearne’s offending began in his teens and that he has faced “numerous” charges since then.

The most recent offence occurred just weeks after he was released from prison for a previous offence of making false representations.

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Commenting on his lengthy list of criminal activity, Judge Smith said: “You have an uneviable record of offending.

“You have a very high risk of re-offending.

“It doesn’t appear that imprisonment has deterred you.

“This offence was committed within two weeks of previous imprisonment.

“You need to appreciate that the courts do treat domestic burglary seriously.”

Addressing the judge, Aherne’s defence barrister Tom Bradley Watson, said that he would be looking at more prison if he continued down this path.

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“He accepts that his criminal record is of serious concern to the court,” said Mr Watson. “He understands the way his life is going will lead to more and more prison.

“He is 21 now, still a young man. It’s prison sentences he can look forward to.”

Mr Watson added that his client wanted to get out of the lifestyle that he is in.

Despite this, Judge Smith sentenced Ahearne to 12 months in jail, with six of those to be served on licence.