A TEENAGE burglar posed as a police officer on a drugs raid before attacking a pensioner and stealing his car.

Kai Radburn of Worcester broke into a 77-year-old's homes at 5am, claiming he was on a police officer performing a drugs raid before damaging the man's dental fixtures by hitting him in the face and driving off in his Golf Type R car. However, Radburn was not jailed after he said he would buy himself a bike so he can get to the probation appointments after he missed the first two.

The 18-year-old of Fern Road was at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday for failing to comply with the terms of a community order imposed to punish and rehabilitate him for that burglary.

Radburn, who spent Christmas in custody because of the breach, claimed he struggled to get to the probation appointments because they were held four miles from his home - so Judge Nicolas Cartwright suggested he buy a bike.

He failed, without reasonable excuse, to attend appointments on September 2 and 9 last year. The appointments were part of an 18 month community order which included 200 hours of unpaid work and 14 rehabilitation activity requirement days, none of which Radburn has completed.

Amiee Parkes, prosecuting, said the burglary happened on March 1 last year when the victim awoke in his living room to find Radburn 'staring at him, around 2ft away'.

When the occupier asked Radburn what he was doing he claimed to be a police officer conducting 'a drugs raid'. The pensioner asked to see Radburn's warrant card but he was not able to provide one. As he went into the kitchen, the pensioner noticed the rear doors were open.

"He asked the male who had let him in and he remained silent" said Miss Parkes.

Radburn picked up the keys to the victim's Golf, telling the pensioner: "I need to check it for drugs."

The victim snatched back the bunch of keys, which included house and car keys, and Radburn snatched them back again and a struggle ensued.

Miss Parkes said: "He has forcibly taken the keys from the complainant. The complainant has run out of the back door towards where the car was parked and the defendant has got in the car and driven away in it."

She added: "During the struggle the complainant was hit in the face with the defendant's forearm. That has impacted on his dentures which are dislodged from their fixtures."

The car, described by the judge as 'top of the range performance', was never recovered.

Through his solicitor, Radburn, asked the judge to give him 'one more chance'.

Speaking of the missed appointments, Judge Cartwright said: "I appreciate there's a cost involved but why not get a bicycle or borrow a bicycle?"

Radburn, speaking from the dock, indicated he did have the money to afford a bike thanks to a grant from social services.

Judge Cartwright said: "He's got the money for a rather nice bike by the sound of it. I'm far from convinced I would be doing the right thing but I'm going to give him a chance, another chance."

He added: "I remind you this was the burglary, at 5am, of a 77-year-old man who lived alone, who had a car on the drive or outside the house." Judge Cartwright told Radburn: "You hit him in the face hard enough to damage his dental implants and took the car which wasn't recovered and you were impersonating a police officer at the time." Radburn was also on bail for another burglary at the time.

He allowed the community order to continue but added a further 20 hours to the 200 hours of unpaid work he must complete. Radburn must complete this order within 12 months or he will be breached.

"Make no mistake, that's against my better judgement" he said.

He further warned Radburn: "You can expect a sentence measured in years if we meet again for this matter."