Burglar-turned-counsellor went back to old habits after tragedy

Karl Grundy, once a counsellor for drug users in the Fleetwood area, had seen his life spiral out of control after he reverted to taking heroin.

He found himself back under arrest for stealing cash and electrical goods from an amusement centre.

Grundy, 40, of Sherbourne Road, North Shore, pleaded guilty to burglary.

Grundy was sentenced to three weeks’ prison suspended for 12 months, with up to 20 days’ rehabilitation to be supervised by the Probation Service, put on a six months’ drug rehabilitation course and ordered to pay £750 compensation by District Judge Jeff Brailsford sitting at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court.

The judge told him: “Your record is significant but your last recorded burglary was in 2004. Your life has now taken a downward spiral and you are back on heroin.”

Pam Smith, prosecuting, said the alarm went off at Warwick Amusements, Church Street on May 6 at 9pm.

An iPod an Mp3 player and £50 cash had been stolen and £400 of damage had been caused.

CCTV showed Grundy moving around in the premises.
He was caught some hours later hiding at the top of a fire escape in Albert Road.

Grundy had 10 previous convictions for burglary.

Kathryn Jamieson-Sinclair, defending, said since 2011 Grundy had successfully stopped using heroin.

She told the court he had been doing so well he had even been counselling drug users in the Fleetwood area.

Grundy then suffered a family bereavement, broke up with his long-time partner and his father was diagnosed with cancer.

He went back on heroin and things spiralled out of control for him in the past few months.