A youngster from Tenby who went on a thieving spree stealing from vehicles parked in the town has been ordered to pay nearly £2,500 worth of compensation back to the victims.

Twenty-year-old Curtis Lewis, of Knowling Mead, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to face five charges of theft, nine charges of vehicle interference, and two charges of criminal damage, relating to incidents that occurred between September 5 and 11. He pleaded guilty to all 16 offences.

Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the offences ranged from causing damage to a motorcycle parked at the town’s multi-storey car park, to throwing eggs at the window of a building at the Salterns.

“On the theft and vehicle interference charges, he went on what can only be described as a spree of going through cars and emptying them of anything he could find of value in the glove compartments or under the seats.

“His actions have had an adverse effect, proving distressing for all persons involved, and it was all done in a short space of time,” he added.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the court that the defendant explained to her that he’d moved to the Tenby area from Gwent seven months ago with his mother, and had difficulty settling in.

“He is easily influenced, and had been drinking heavily. There have been concerns over his mental health, as he suffers with depression and anxiety.

“His actions were reckless and he is remorseful for the offences. After today’s hearing, he is going back to live with his father in Gwent,” she explained.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb told the court that this was a ‘curious case’ as Mr. Lewis had never been in trouble before moving to Tenby, and put down his offending to a combination of factors such as not gaining employment, getting in with the wrong crowd, drinking and his mental health issues.

Magistrates told Mr. Lewis that over a period of a few days he managed to rack-up 16 offences and would now have a lot of money to pay back to the victims.

Mr. Lewis was handed a 12 month community order with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, and ordered to complete 20 hours of unpaid work.

He was told that he would have to pay a total of £2,492.17 back in compensation to the complainants, and was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and an £85 victim surcharge.