A man from Milford has been fined in court after admitting stealing items from a store in the town.

Thirty-four-year-old Thomas John Picton, of Chestnut Way, Mount Estate, admitted an offence of stealing coffee, grinders and sanders to the value of £56 belonging to the Lidl store, when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the defendant simply went into the store on August 31 of last year, picked up a couple of boxes off the shelves and walked out without paying.

“He was not apprehended at the time, but the police were called and went to look for him, and Mr. Picton was subsequently seen walking down the street with a box underneath his coat.

“Officers detained him at the roadside, and saw that he had a jar of coffee wrapped inside his coat.

“From information given to them by a member of the public stating that they had seen the defendant trying to hide something, officers went back and searched the area, and found a sander, grinder, battery and packet of sweets hiding in the undergrowth,” continued Mr. Pritchard-Jones, with the court hearing that Mr. Picton was also in breach of a community order.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb told the court that Mr. Picton had been going through a difficult period at the time, which had involved him moving around to different addresses, and therefore having his benefits all over the place.

“He also suffers from depression and anxiety and everything at the time was getting on top of him. He admitted the thefts.

“Mr. Picton doesn’t have the easiest path to travel - but is on the right track. He is doing everything that is being asked of him by his probation officer,” he added.

Magistrates fined Mr. Picton £80 for the offence and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £30 victim surcharge.