A BURGLAR needed 26 stitches to a leg injury after he fell while stealing copper from a building site.

Toby Doyle, from Thorpe le Soken, left blood at the scene when he stole around £3,000 of copper pipes and fittings from Colchester garrison.

He admitted what he had done when police arrested him later on, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Doyle, of High Street, also drove off without paying for £70 worth of diesel from the Asda garage in Colchester.

He admitted burglary and making off without payment when he appeared in court for sentencing.

Doyle was given an 18-month supervision order and must attend a drug treatment programme.

The court heard he drove off from the petrol station on August 4 this year and stole the copper between July 22 and 25.

Richard Kelly, mitigating, said 33-year-old Doyle had drugs problems which had led to his life spiralling downwards.

He was now taking steps to deal with his problems and responding well, Mr Kelly said.

He told the court Doyle sustained the leg injury while using a ladder at the scene of the burglary.