A terrified man who fled onto a roof in a bid to escape burglars had to be rescued by firefighters.

But when Damien Fairburn reached the ground of the Fartown house he found himself facing another headache.

The police officers called to investigate the offence were actually waiting for him – as being at the address put the 30-year-old in breach of his court bail conditions.

Fairburn had been ordered not to communicate with his former partner while he awaited trial for assaulting her and causing damage to her property.

He changed his plea to guilty for these offences when he appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court from custody following the incident at the Corby Street house in the early hours of today (Thursday).

Fairburn was arrested after being found at his ex’s address.

Officers were called there following reports that three men had broken into the house and assaulted Fairburn.

His solicitor Paul Blanchard said: “They entered the premises by forced entry and hit him over the head with an object.

“He was scared and got himself onto the roof.

“This was reported as an ongoing burglary which is why police got there so quickly.

“The fire brigade had to be called to get him down and police got to recover Mr Fairburn from the rooftop.”

The Huddersfield court was told that despite his bail conditions Fairburn had continued to spend time with his former partner.

Kirklees Magistrates Court, Huddersfield.

Mr Blanchard added that he had gone to the house at her request, possibly because she knew that there was going to be a disturbance there.

Last November Fairburn was jailed for two weeks after sending the mum-of-two a malicious communication.

On June 18 she awoke from her attic bedroom to the sound of loud banging noise at the front door.

Vanessa Jones, prosecuting, told magistrates: “He said: ‘If you don’t open this door I’m going to kick it down.’

“He kicked the door, damaging the lock, and came inside and she was terrified of what was going to happen.”

Magistrates heard that before she had the chance to dial 999, Fairburn reached down her top to remove her mobile phone from her bra.

He repeatedly kicked and punched his ex, causing her to flee into the street.

There he threw the mobile to the ground and smashed it and continued to attack her as she screamed for help.

When she returned to the house, drunk Fairburn stood on the doorstep shouting abuse at her.

The whole incident lasted for 40 minutes and left her feeling terrified, the court heard.

Mr Blanchard described Fairburn’s relationship with his ex as ‘complicated’ but admitted that his behaviour towards her was wholly inappropriate.

Magistrates jailed Fairburn, of Moorbottom Road in Thornton Lodge, for 20 weeks.

They made an indefinite restraining order, banning him from entering Corby Street.