A BUNGLING burglar whose trail of blood led to his arrest has been spared jail — while the store has been left counting costs of more than £5,000.

Anthony Fearn was tracked by police sniffer dogs after he suffered a serious leg injury while smashing a window at the Westhoughton store, leaving a half-mile trail of blood behind him.

Fearn and his girlfriend Laura Ord used a breeze block and bricks to smash through glass at the store in Manchester Road, at 4.45am on April 14.

Fearn was left with an “appalling open wound”, the effects of which, he is still suffering from.

Bolton Magistrates Court heard that Ord had filled a handbag with bottles of spirits worth £115 which they planned to sell to raise cash to buy drugs.

However the trail of blood allowed police to track the pair to an area of wasteland at nearby Greensbridge Gardens within 15 minutes of the incident.

The court heard that Fearn had been tested positive for hepatitis C, and that Tesco had to pay £2,500 to make sure the area was properly cleaned.

Tesco had to pay another £2,864 to fix the window which had been damaged during the incident.

Jane Novas-Morell, defending, said: “These offences represent a crisis point in their lives.

“These are serious offences, and perhaps they demonstrate the desperation these people find themselves in.”

Mrs Novas-Morell said that Fearn had been given a final warning by his mother, who had remained loyal to him despite his offending.

She said that the pair apologised for their behaviour.

Mrs Novas-Morell added: “Mrs Fearn deserves a medal because she still sticks by with her son despite this.

“But she has given him an ultimatum, as he turns 30 in a couple of weeks.

“It is down to her that they have managed to keep their accommodation, helping with their rent arrears.”

Mrs Novas-Morrell also said that Fearn does not have Hepatitis C.

Fearn, aged 29, of Glebe Street, Westhoughton, was given 16 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, and must pay costs of £85, a criminal courts charge of £185, and a victim surcharge of £80.

He has also been given a curfew from 7pm to 6am for 12 weeks, and must complete a drugs rehabilitation programme.

Ord was also given 16 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months for her part in the burglary, as well as for assaulting a detention officer on the day of the burglary.

She was given a further sentence of two weeks suspended for stealing bottles of brandy from Sainsburys in Bolton on three separate occasions last month.

She must pay costs of £85, a criminal courts charge of £180, a victim surcharge of £80 and compensation of £478.