A SHOPLIFTER has appeared before magistrates after admitting stealing food and alcohol from two stores in Pembroke Dock

John Ashby, 37, was seen stealing two crates of San Miguel lager valued at £22 from B&M Bargains on July 8 while on Hallowe’en of this year he entered the Farm Foods store, and stole 12 food items valued at £80.61.

His solicitor, Michael Kellher, said that the offences were committed after Ashby relocated to Pembrokeshire from London, where he was employed as a bricklayer.

“He’s always been in employment, but since moving to Pembrokeshire he hasn’t been able to find a job,” he said.  “He hasn’t signed on for Universal Credit with the result that he stole the foodstuffs out of necessity.”

Meanwhile probation officer Julie Norman said that Ashby’s Halloween theft was committed after the defendant had been placed on a Community Order, imposed on September 24, for a previous shoplifting conviction.

“Having said that, he’s attended all appointments with the probation service,” she said.  “The Community Order was given following his first ever conviction, so he doesn’t trouble the courts on a regular basis.”

After asking to address the magistrates, Ashby apologised to the court for his behaviour.

“I’m not a bad person,” he said.  “I’ve worked since the age of 16, but I’m not excusing my behaviour.”

Ashby was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 surcharge.  He must also pay £80.61 compensation to Farm Foods and £22 compensation to B&M.

AN internet dating app relationship has resulted in a four-figure fine for a Pembrokeshire man after he refused to accept that a two-month relationship was over.

Gareth Thomas, 51, met Rachel Blundell on an unknown dating app in January of this year.

“The relationship lasted for seven or eight weeks, they had meals out together and the defendant stayed over at her property on a few occasions,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“The relationship came to an end for whatever reason, but the defendant chose to continue sending her texts which were persistent and unwanted.”

In a victim impact statement read out to the court, Ms Blundell said that Thomas’s persistence left her feeling anxious.

“I’m unsure why he feels the need to contact me, because the relationship is over,” she said.

“He knows where I live and I’m afraid he’ll start causing issues with me.  I just want him to accept that the relationship is over and he’ll leave me alone because it makes me feel alarmed, harassed and distressed.  I’m scared about what he might do in the future.”

Thomas, of Gatehouse View, Pembroke, pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment without violence.  He was represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher.

“He agrees that there was repeated contact with Ms Blundell, but there were no threats nor violence.”

Mr Kelleher went on to say that Thomas was confused following Ms Blundell’s decision to terminate the relationship.

“She claimed that her father had been taken ill, but then went onto another dating site, and my client couldn’t quite understand why.  He was confused, he didn’t know why it happened, and he was even optimistic that she’d have second thoughts and they could sort things out.  He was never once told not to contact her.”

Meanwhile probation officer Charmaine Fox said that Thomas believed the way in which Ms Blundell ended the relationship was ‘a lie’.

“In the past he’s been able to rekindle a relationship, and he thought this may happen again.  But things are very different in modern society, and the way people contact each other is now very different.”

Thomas was fined £833 and ordered to pay a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.  He was sentenced to a 12-month community order during which he must carry out 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.  He must also adhere to a 12-month restraining order preventing him from approaching and entering any address which Ms Blundell may reside in and not to enter any electronic data that refers directly to Ms Blundell.  

A TRAINEE plumber who consumed so much alcohol that ‘he didn’t know what he was doing’ has appeared before magistrates charged with interfering with two cars parked in Pembroke town centre.

In the early hours of October 6, police officers saw Ethan Pender, 20, sitting inside a Ford Fiesta parked in Main Street.

“The interior lights were on, so this naturally attracted the officers’ attention,” Crown Prosecution Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

When the officers questioned Pender about what he was doing, he told them it was his parent’s vehicle, however a subsequent vehicle check confirmed it belonged to someone else residing in the area.

Pender, who is currently enrolled on a plumbing course at Pembrokeshire College, pleaded guilty to a similar charge of entering a parked BMW.

“The contents of a First Aid box were strewn all over the seats and the lock on the central console was broken,” continued Ms Vaughan. She confirmed that no items had been stolen from either vehicle.

However Pender’s solicitor Tom Lloyd, claimed the offences were committed following a drinking spree.

“He was extremely intoxicated and had got to the state where he couldn’t remember what he was doing,” he said.  “There was no targeting of any vehicles, and no damage was caused to them.”

But the magistrates failed to be swayed by Mr Lloyd’s mitigation.

“You’re claiming you were so drunk that you don’t remember what was going on, but we don’t buy that at all,” said the presiding magistrate.

As a result, magistrates requested an oral probation report prior to sentencing, however chief probation officer Julie Norman requested an adjournment as a result of Pender’s history of court orders and cautions.

“We consider him to be at high risk of reoffending,” said Ms Norman.

Sentencing was adjourned to November 26 and Pender was released on conditional bail, the conditions being that he obeys a daily curfew between 8pm and 7am and he lives and sleeps at his home address at Central Court, Milford Haven.