A MAN arrested for a series of nuisance drunken offences round a city centre has taken stock of his life while on remand in custody, a court was told.

Kevin David James was arrested in connection with a break-in at shared student accommodation, for drug possession and twice for possessing offensive weapons in public, all in Durham, within a few weeks.

Durham Crown Court heard that James had fallen into heavy misuse of drink and drugs, at the time, and was said to have come under attack himself by drunken revellers round the city centre on weekend nights.

Appearing via video link from the nearby city jail, where he has been on remand in recent weeks, James 35, of Newton Drive, Durham, admitted charges of burglary, two of possession of offensive weapons in public and one of a class B drug.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, told the court that in separate incidents the heavily intoxicated defendant was found in possession of a meat cleaver and a sock filled with stones, as well as a quantity of amphetamines.

It also emerged he had stolen a bicycle, worth £60, from a communal area of shared student accommodation in Gilesgate.

The court heard James has a number of similar previous offences on his record.

Liam O’Brien, mitigating, told the court: “His time on remand has been useful to him and given him time to reflect what is becoming of his life and, now, at the age of 35, he finally wants to avoid coming back up in front of the courts.

“He had fallen back into heavy use of both alcohol and drugs and accepts he can’t go on in this way.”

Mr O’Brien said James has worked with drug and alcohol teams while on remand to try to rid himself of his addictions.

Jailing him for a total of 19 months, Judge Deborah Sherwin said only an immediate prison sentence could be justified given his catalogue of offending.