A Tenby man stole from a local shop to survive after he found himself sleeping rough, a court heard this week.

Fifty-three-year-old Andrew Broadhurst, care of Newell Hill, pleaded guilty to theft from a shop when he appeared at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told the court that the defendant was captured on CCTV selecting a number of items at the Co-Op store in Kilgetty on December 1.

“He placed them in a trolley and left the store without attempting to pay. He made full admissions in interview. The exact value of the items taken is not known,” she explained.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb said that Mr. Broadhurst had been struggling to get accommodation at the time of the offence, as he had split up with his partner and was unable to claim benefits.

“At the time Mr. Broadhurst was more or less living rough. He was pinching food stuffs from the Co-Op to survive. Since then he has managed to get back on his feet,” he added.

Magistrates fined Mr. Broadhurst £40 for the offence and ordered him to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a a £30 victim surcharge.