A 23-year-old man seen trying the doors of parked cars suffered from obsessive compulsive disorder, Skipton magistrates heard.

Dale Badger Rowan Chenier was arrested after he was seen on December 15 trying the door of one car in Western Road, Skipton, and sitting for a few minutes in another, the court was told.

The owner of one of the cars later discovered £106 sponsorship money missing from a glovebox.

While on police bail, he stole £350 of camping equipment from a third car in Keighley Road, which was discovered when officers went to check he was complying with his curfew.

The court heard that he had been wearing a balaclava and was carrying a backpack when he was seen trying the doors of the two cars in Western Road.

He later told police he had been visiting friends and checked the car doors because of his obsessive compulsive disorder.

He also claimed to police he could remember nothing of the theft of the camping equipment because he had earlier drunk 20 cans of beer and a bottle of Jagermeister.

The court heard that Chenier, who admitted two charges of interfering with a car, and one of theft from a car, had been sent to prison for aggravated burglary in 2011.

He had been in a relationship but that had come to a sudden end and in addition to OCD he suffered from other mental-health issues, including attention-deficit disorder.

He was not a habitual drinker but had been drinking after discovering his ex-partner was living with another man.

His solicitor, John Mewies, pointed out that there was no proof that he had taken the money from one of the two cars on December 15 and added that it had been left unsecured for almost 24 hours.

Chenier, of The Farm, Keighley Road, was given a 12-month community order with supervision, with a three-month curfew of 8pm to 7am.

He was also ordered to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £60.