A MAN who led police on a car chase through Atherton has been given a last chance to deal with his drug addiction.

Convicted robber Kyle Ashcroft was back in court after breaching a community order put in place in August 2019 after he drove a stolen Mercedes at high speed before crashing and trying to escape on foot.

Ashcroft had been due to appear at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday, September 24, but had to spend the night in custody after falling ill due to withdrawing from heroin.

Stuart Neal, prosecuting, said on March 9, 2019, Ashcroft, 32, was chased by officers while driving a Mercedes with false plates which had been stolen in Bootle, Merseyside.

He sped along Market Street, Atherton, past the Punch Bowl Hotel, before driving along Wigan Road, West Leigh Lane and Smallbrook Lane.

After crashing the car, Ashcroft, of Maple Crescent, Leigh, ran off before climbing on to the roof of an extension and throwing tiles at officers.

He was handed a community order in August 2019 after pleading guilty to charges of dangerous driving, receiving stolen goods and two counts of criminal damage.

The court that Ashcroft "went AWOL" for a period between April and May this year and in doing so breached the terms of his community order.

Colin Buckle, defending, said Ashcroft was "very tearful" when he arrived at court and was "ashamed of his drug problem."

He said the father of four had been using Class A drugs for a long time and was currently using two or three bags of heroin a day.

"He knows this is the last chance saloon," added Mr Buckle.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh, handed Ashcroft a 16 month prison sentence suspended for two years and made him the subject of a two month curfew between 8pm and 6am.

He also imposed an 18 month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Judge Walsh said: "I am prepared to give you the opportunity to address your entrenched drug addiction but you will have to work with the probation services.

"This is not a soft option and you will be going to custody if you breach the order again."

Ashcroft will return to Bolton Crown Court on November 6 for Judge Walsh to check his progress.