A WREXHAM man who stole honey from a supermarket has been spared jail.

Darren Roberts, of Percy Road, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The 53-year-old admitted that on August 3, he stole four jars of manuka honey to the value of £56 from Sainsbury's at Plas Coch.

Prosecutor Justin Espie told the court that only one of the jars of stolen honey was recovered.

He asked the court to consider ordering compensation for the store's loss.

Mr Espie said Roberts has an "extensive" criminal record, but that the volume of his offending over the last three years had reduced somewhat.

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The latest offence put him in breach of a suspended sentence and a community order.

Emma Simoes, defending, said this goes back five months now and that her client has been doing very well engaging with support agencies.

"He now has his own accommodation as well and is on a script."

However the court heard that while Roberts' individual efforts to better himself may have been going well, his engagement with the probation service had been far from ideal.

A probation officer told the court his engagement had been "minimal" and that he'd been using heroin for many years.

He was last seen by his offender manager in July last year - having failed to attend a subsequent meeting.

Ms Simoes added to Deputy District Judge Paul Conlon: "I accept that's not a glowing report in helping me persuade you in not activating his suspended sentence, but I really think activation will set him back tenfold.

"All of his offences were committed when his life was chaotic and he was homeless.

"He now has accommodation and has made exceptional progress, albeit not with probation.

The Leader:

"We need to end the revolving door for Mr Roberts."

The Deputy District Judge accepted it would be unjust in the defendant's case to activate the sentence.

He handed down an £80 fine for the theft and another of the same value for committing the offence in breach of a suspended sentence.

Compensation of £56 to Sainsbury's was ordered, as was a £64 victim surcharge and £85 costs.