A Narberth man who stole food items from a store and then ran away when staff gave chase has appeared in court.
Thirty-four-year-old John Paul Adderley appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday, to plead guilty to the theft of items to the value of £25.57 from the Lidl store in Milford Haven on May 10 of last year.
Prosecutor Abul Hussain told magistrates that Mr. Adderley, who lived in Narberth but was in the process of moving accommodation, had gone into the store and collected various food items before leaving the premises without paying.
The store manager was alerted by a staff member and they gave chase in the car park area.
Mr. Adderley ditched the bag containing the items and ran away, but had left medication in the bag which contained his name and address.
He was arrested and made full admissions in a police interview. The court heard how Mr. Adderley had a number of previous convictions, including theft matters.
Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb told the court that Mr. Adderley had been suffering with mental health issues at the time.
“He had depression and anxiety issues and wasn’t thinking straight at the time. Mr. Adderley has a fairly lengthy record, but the last time he was in court was in 2015, so he is trying to put his criminality behind him and lead a pro social lifestyle,” explained Mr. Webb.
Magistrates gave the defendant a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.