A LOOK-OUT for a burglary was handed an off-road motorbike — which he later crashed and suffered a fractured skull.

Prolific thief Scott Dumigan had ‘a fascination with motorbikes’ and was even banned from driving at the time, Burnley Crown Court was told.

Dumigan, 31, had kept watch while fellow thieves raided DF Lawnmowers at Victoria Mill in Accrington, and stole a haul of power tools and a Yamaha off-road motorbike, worth a total of £6,800.

Prosecutor Michael Wallbank said that in the early hours of the next day the police were alerted to a motorbike accident in Back Wellington Street, Accrington.

The court heard that Dumigan had failed to negotiate a bend and fell off the bike, suffering a fractured skull.

Police went to his home in Morse Street, Burnley, just under a fortnight later, to speak to him about the burglary.

But he became abusive and refused to leave the property, warning officers that if they wanted to enter they would have to deal with his dog.

Dumigan was later detained when more police patrols were called in.

Interviewed about the raid he maintained he had acted as a look-out and had been given the bike as a reward. James Heyworth, defending, said: “He says that he has a fascination with motorbikes and in this particular case he crashed the bike and came away with some quite significant injuries, including a fractured skull.

“He would submit that this is a watershed moment for him.

“The courts are going to be sceptical that he has changed or wishes to change but his physical injuries may back this up.”

Dumigan, who admitted burglary, driving while disqualified, having no insurance and using threatening behaviour was jailed for 20 months and was banned from driving for six months.