A ROBBER who was the first person in Dorset to be jailed for life under the "three strikes and you're out" law could be affected by a landmark judgement.

The Court of Appeal in London this week ruled that the law, making it compulsory for judges to impose a life sentence for a third serious offence, was incompatible with new human rights legislation.

Three judges headed by Lord Chief Justice Woolf ruled that an automatic life sentence would not be justified unless the offender posed an unacceptable risk to the public.

And they reduced the sentence given to a bungling building society robber with a personality disorder from life to three years.

Their decision paves the way for a possible appeal by 28-year-old Lee Faulkner, who was given four concurrent life sentences by His Honour Judge David Tyzack QC at Bournemouth Crown Court last week after admitting two robberies and two charges of possessing an imitation firearm.

Faulkner held up building societies in Southampton and Canford Cliffs, Poole last spring using a silver imitation handgun. The court heard that his record of 69 previous offences included convictions for wounding with intent and assault.

But his barrister, Ian Morley, said Faulkner had carried out the raids to fuel his £400-a-day heroin and crack habit and could remember nothing about them.

"He was 'away with the fairies' on his class A drug addiction. There were no threats to kill and it was not a real gun," he said.