A SENIOR magistrate told a hapless Carlisle criminal badly injured in a fall from the roof of the building he was burgling: “You’re rubbish at it!”

Michael Sirey Parker, 32, smashed his pelvis after plunging from the roof of an auction business operated by the celebrity antiques expert Paul Laidlaw.

Parker - high on drink and drugs - broke into the Rome Street building in the dead of night. But the enterprise was a disaster from start to finish, the city’s Rickergate court heard.

As he and an accomplice clambered through a window they had broken at 12.20pm, Parker cut himself badly.

Police found his blood all over the office. When an alarm sounded, the duo fled empty handed - wrecking blinds and a radiator.

They caused £1,000 worth of damage. Parker also left his mobile phone behind, said prosecutor Diane Jackson as she outlined the January 7 raid.

“The defendant is believed to have fallen from the roof at some point,” said the prosecutor. “The fall caused serious injury to his pelvis.”

CCTV images showed Parker crawling several yards after his fall. Unable to move further, he lay in agony in freezing temperatures for several hours.

He was found by a worker at 7am the next morning, said Mrs Jackson. The prosecutor added: “In his interview, he fully admitted the matter, saying he drank a substantial amount of alcohol and took drugs. He had little recollection of what took place.”

He did remember visiting a friend at 10pm the night before the raid - but his next memory was waking up in hospital.

When he was interviewed by the police, he apologised and said he was now determined to sort out his life.

There were no previous convictions on his record for dishonesty matters, the court heard.

Parker, formerly of Charles Street, Carlisle, admitted burglary. “He was effectively off his head on drink and drugs,” said defence lawyer Chris Toms.

The accomplice with Parker had since died in a drug related tragedy, said the lawyer.

Mr Toms said that Parker was clearly remorseful, and he had not had any street drugs for two months.

This was something he had done previously as a way of coping. On the day of the burglary, he had been encouraged by somebody more experienced in such offending.

But Parker was now talking to the drug and alcohol group Unity about his drinking.

Mr Toms said of his client: “He’s unlikely to repeat the experience; and he’s now engaging with people to deal with his drug use.”

As he was being sentenced, Parker said to the court: "I feel ashamed but I accept responsibility."

Presiding magistrate Paul Baird told Parker: “It was a disaster area from start to finish; and the reason it was a disaster was alcohol and drugs.

“Your life is a mess - but we think there’s a chance you can get out of this mess.”

Magistrates imposed an 18 month community order, with 10 days rehabilitation and a three month alcohol treatment programme. Parker thanked Mr Baird, adding: “I need help, to be honest.”

He spent five weeks in hospital recovering from his pelvis injury.