A 43-YEAR-OLD man with more than 140 convictions was congratulated by magistrates for his efforts to turn his life around.

Blackburn magistrates were told Gary Lettherd was no longer taking drugs and was rarely drinking after a lifetime of substance abuse which his solicitor said he thought would have ‘finished’ him a long time ago.

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“I didn’t expect him still to be here in 2015, having known him for 20 years,” said Simon Farnsworth, defending.

He said Lettherd was on Subutex to control his drug problems.

“He hasn’t stopped drinking but he has cut down on his alcohol intake which over the years had been astonishing,” said Mr Farnsworth. “He is getting help from his doctor and this offence was a lapse.”

Lettherd, of The Salvation Army, Bramwell House, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to stealing clothing worth £70 from Debenhams. He was given a conditional discharge for nine months and ordered to pay £150 criminal court charge, £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

The chairman of the magistrates said it was ‘encouraging’ that Lettherd had sorted out his drug problems and was doing the same with his alcohol issues.