Poetic licence expires for literary heroin addict

A criminal spared jail because of his literary talent was back behind bars yesterday after repeatedly breaching a court order.

Mark Patterson, a heroin addict, was jailed for three and a half years at the Old Bailey. Judge Goldstein had not jailed Patterson in January after hearing of his poetic skills. He said he would take a chance and impose a non-custodial sentence in the hope that Patterson would use it to reform.

But by February, Patterson, of Deptford, south-east London had rejected the "golden opportunity" given to him. He repeatedly breached "without adequate explanation" the 18-month drug treatment and testing order (DTTO) which Judge Goldstein imposed instead of jail. "You were given a golden opportunity to rid yourself of drugs by the DTTO. Sadly you failed to comply with its requirements," Judge Focke told Patterson yesterday.

Patterson, 42, had been caught with a meat cleaver after burgling an empty house in Deptford, in April last year.