Shaun McKerry - a homing instinct for crime

He hit the headlines in 1999 when exasperated police officers voiced their despair that the-then 15-year-old Shaun McKerry was mocking the law - re-offending within hours of being freed by magistrates.

On March 11, that year The Northern Echo reported that he'd already been arrested five times between January 22 and February 10.

He boasted after one court appearance he would be back - returning 48 hours later on suspicion of taking a car.

The 15-year-old had been placed on a supervision order despite a report to magistrates that he was a danger to the public. His own mother had also pleaded for him to be locked up.

He was outside the control of his parents, the authorities and had a deep-seated hatred of the police and a natural instinct to steal cars.

Magistrates tried to provide him with a string of second chances and opportunities to rehabilitate himself - but each time he threw it back in their faces.

His case was even brought to the attention of then Prime Minister Tony Blair by The Northern Echo, who later announced a crackdown on so called 'bail-bandits'.

From an early age, McKerry - dubbed Homing Pigeon Boy as he always returned home after his crimes - realised he was untouchable and he soon shot to notoriety as the ring leader of a gang said to be responsible for 1,000 crimes.

His catalogue of offending included car chases with police, a string of burglary convictions, aggravated vehicle taking, sending indecent letters, witness intimidation, threatening behaviour, assaulting a police officer, attempted robbery, shoplifting, criminal damage and countless breaches of curfew, community sentences and offending while on bail.

In February 2000, The Northern Echo won a landmark legal victory to name him when the Lord Chief Justice ruled Bishop Auckland Youth Court had done nothing legally wrong when it agreed to the paper's application to lift the juvenile's automatic right to anonymity.

Lord Bingham said he had taken a great interest in the case which centred on the individual youth's right to freedom and anonymity against the public's right to be better protected by knowing his identity.

Shaun McKerry pictured in August 2000 - after The Northern Echo won the legal right to name him

At some point he developed a drug problem and stole to feed his habit. Six months later McKerry, then 16, was sentenced to four years in a young offenders' institution for robbing a village postmaster at knifepoint.

This was later cut on appeal but by March 2002, aged 18, he was back behind bars again after admitting two new offences - three days after being given yet another "last chance" by magistrates.

McKerry had been granted bail after admitting theft on a Monday but was picked up 48 hours later after helping raid a Bishop Auckland clothing shop.

In recent years, much of his offending has been for the theft of low value items, from shops in the south-west Durham area.

But in May, 2011 he was jailed for four years at Durham Crown Court which heard he only had 18 months to live if his drug and alcohol abuse continued.

McKerry admitted robbery after stealing £90 from a takeaway delivery man in Coundon while armed with a six inch kitchen knife.

His lawyer said he had deep vein thrombosis and cirrhosis of the liver, the result of years of substance abuse the time the court heard he had 55 previous convictions for 120 offences.

His latest victim, Sab Dhillon, said he hopes McKerry gets the help he needs to stop his prolific offending.

The 31-year-old has admitted attempted robbery at Shildon Post Office and Stores on Sunday, March 15.

McKerry threatened staff with an axe as he demanded cash from the register before being tackled by Mr Dhillon, who said: "You try to understand why people do these things but sometimes people are too far gone and they are unable to stop."