Wrexham thief dubbed "menace" jailed for stealing baby milk

Paul Field, of Garden View in Ruabon, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old admitted stealing more than £90 worth of stock from Ruabon Park service station over three separate days this month.

Two of the offences were committed just days after he received a sentence of 12 weeks, suspended for 12 months, for other thefts - putting him in breach of the suspended sentence order.

Molly Rumsey, prosecuting, told the court the most commonly stolen items  in the Ruabon Park service station incidents were tubs of baby milk - but he also took a milkshake and a pie.

Stephen Edwards, defending, told the court his client had accepted a jail sentence was inevitable.

"He has an appalling record," he conceded. "No doubt about that.

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Paul Field (Image: North Wales Police)

"You will know he has an awful drug problem.

"He targeted the baby milk to steal and sell."

Mr Edwards said his client - who is "not an unintelligent man" - aimed to take up any help available to him.

He court heard the defendant's "horrendous" criminal record included collective fines reaching more than £9,000 with the amount owed to the court currently standing just shy of £7,000.

Kimberly Caruana, Chair of the Magistrates, said: "You do have an unenviable and horrendous record of offending.

"It's fair to say you are an absolute menace to shops and retail premises."

On each of the three theft offences, Field was handed consecutive jail terms of six weeks each.

The suspended sentence was also activated in full, to run consecutive - making a total of 30 weeks in prison.

He will serve half of that time in custody, and the remainder on licence.

The court also imposed £85 costs and ordered the defendant to pay out £92.51 in compensation.

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