A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced for stealing five legs of lamb from an Iceland supermarket.

On October 3, Martin Back entered the Iceland store in Gravesend and stole five legs of lamb valued at £70.

This week he pleaded guilty to the theft offence when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court. He was represented by solicitor Fenn Richards.

“He was leading a chaotic lifestyle at that time, being homeless and drinking,” she told District Judge Mark Layton. “But he’s now house-sharing in Milford Haven and works on a farm.”

Back, of Milton Crescent, Milford Haven, was fined £300 and ordered to pay £70 compensation to Iceland. He must also pay a £120 court surcharge and £80 in costs.

Store workers punched and stamped on after challenging shoplifting, court hears

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has narrowly avoided an immediate prison sentence after assaulting three shop workers during a shoplifting incident at a Pembroke supermarket.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that Mark Abraham, aged 52, entered the Co-op store in Pembroke on Sunday (Dec 8) and selected an assortment of items valued at £46.16 before attempting to leave without paying.

Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told District Judge Mark Layton that Abraham was challenged by a member of staff as he exited the store.

“The defendant was approached by a member of staff who challenged him,” she said. “He then punched and stamped the staff member to the head several times.”

Two further members of staff, along with a detention officer, came to assist but were also punched by Abraham during the incident.

Abraham, of The Green, Pembroke, pleaded guilty to theft and three charges of common assault. He was represented by solicitor Tom Lloyd.

Mr Lloyd told the court that his client had been fully cooperative with police and had shown genuine remorse.

“He has been completely forthcoming about everything that took place that day and is genuinely sorry for what he’s done,” he said. “He is now highly motivated to address his issues.”

District Judge Mark Layton sentenced Abraham to eighteen weeks in custody, suspended for eighteen months.

As part of the sentence, Abraham was ordered to complete twenty rehabilitation activity requirement days, wear an alcohol abstinence monitoring tag for nineteen days, and attend a nine-day drug review programme.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to each of the four victims, £46.16 compensation to the Co-op store, a £154 court surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.

In addition, a two-year restraining order was imposed, preventing Abraham from entering the Co-op store in Pembroke and from contacting any of the four victims.

Motorist was over the legal limit after watching rugby, court told

A TEENAGE motorist has been disqualified from driving after being involved in a collision while over the legal drink-driving limit.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that police were called to Cox Hill, Narberth, on the evening of Friday (Oct 25) following reports of a single-vehicle collision.

Officers attending the scene found a silver Peugeot being driven by Jake Leavitt, aged 18, with a male passenger also in the vehicle.

When spoken to by officers, Leavitt admitted he had been the driver and provided a positive roadside breath test. He was taken to hospital for examination following the collision, where a subsequent blood test revealed 90 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

Leavitt, of Tymawr, Llangolman, pleaded guilty to the drink-driving offence. He was represented by Fenn Richards, who asked the court to take her client’s age and immaturity into account when passing sentence.

Ms Richards told District Judge Mark Layton that Leavitt had been watching a rugby match before driving home and believed he was not over the legal limit.

She said: “He hasn’t driven since the incident and is absolutely devastated to be losing his clean character today.”

The court was also told that Leavitt is currently studying to become an electrician at Pembrokeshire College.

Sentencing the defendant, District Judge Layton disqualified him from driving for twelve months and fined him £230. He was also ordered to pay a £92 court surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.

“It may be down to immaturity,” the judge said, “but you should be mature enough to understand that drink-driving is not the thing to do.”