A serial thief with 76 offences of theft to his name appeared in court this week after admitting stealing items of jewellery from two premises in Tenby.

Thirty-eight-year-old Christopher John Brockway, of St. Teilos Road, Pembroke Dock, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to plead guilty to stealing a neck chain worth £455 belonging to Audrey Bull Antiques; and a further charge of stealing two rings to the value of £754 from Arch House Jewellery Store, on September 6.

Prosecutor Abul Hussain told the court that the manner in which Mr. Brockway was caught for these thefts was somewhat unusual, as the defendant was involved in a road traffic collision on his way to sell the stolen items when police caught up with him.

“At 8 pm at night, police officers attended an RTC on Swansea Road where Mr. Brockway’s vehicle was on its roof and he as the driver was sat against a wall. One officer observed the defendant take an item out of his pocket and drop it on the other side of the wall.

“He denied it when the officer challenged him, before he was searched and the other items of jewellery were found.

“Enquiries were made and the stolen items were traced back to the two businesses in Tenby. CCTV footage also showed Mr. Brockway stealing the items from the premises.”

Mr. Hussain said that both the establishment’s owners had given personal ‘victim impact statements’ to the police, stating how these thefts had impacted on their small businesses.

“One said that it ‘sickened them’ that this person felt they could walk in to the shop and take what they wanted just for the money, when they had worked hard for their earnings, and how the incident had left them feeling ‘extremely vulnerable’, calling the crime ‘absolutely disgusting’ in their statement,” continued Mr. Hussain, who explained that Mr. Brockway had an antecedent history with 76 offences of theft to his name.

Defending Mr. Brockway, solicitor Mike Kelleher told the court that his client had been told that he was to suffer sanctions for a benefits cut for six weeks, and that he had panicked and committed these thefts as a ‘knee-jerk reaction’ to that news.

“He went back to his old ways. There was nothing sophisticated about this, and no threats or violence. It was a spur of the moment thing without any real degree of planning,” he said.

The probation officer told the court that Mr. Brockway had been out in Tenby for the day and took the opportunity to steal from two premises before travelling up to Swansea to try and sell the goods.

The court heard how the defendant had suffered with anxiety and depression in recent months and was on medication for this.

Addressing magistrates himself, Mr. Brockway said that on hearing the victims’ impact statements, he would like to write an apology to them both.

Magistrates handed the defendant a 12-month community order, to include a 20-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, and 150 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Mr. Brockway was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and an £85 victim surcharge.