Jail warning for man with 44 convictions (From South Wales Guardian)

Jail warning for man with 44 convictions

5:00pm Thursday 6th September 2012 in News

A 30-YEAR-OLD Ammanford man with 44 criminal convictions to his name has appeared in court to admit stealing alloy wheels, tyres and axles from a garage in the town.

Mark Lesley Griffith, of 24 Parcyrhun, also pleaded guilty to the theft of a length of metal piping belonging to TRJ Contractors.

Gerald Neave, prosecuting, told Llanelli magistrates howMrThomas had gone to a lock-up garage he rented at Harold Street at 11am on August 3 and discovered it had been burgled.

MrThomas used the garage to store two classic cars hewas in the process of restoring.

He told police that seven alloy wheels and four tyres had been removed.

“Itwas clear that someone had searched the garage,” said Mr Neave. However, numerous other items had been left behind or were untouched by the thief.Mr Neave told the court that the wheels and tyres had been sold to a nearby garage.

“Officers recovered the items, which had been purchased by an unsuspecting buyer,” said Mr Neave.

Mr Thomas later realised a pair of axles had also been stolen.

When Griffith learned that the police hadtraced the stolen items he handed himself in. He admitted his sister –who was on holiday at the time of the theft – also lived on Harold Street, which was how he had come to knowof the items in the garage.

Griffith told police that he and another manhad gone in search of scrap on the day he broke into the garage.

While at the police station, Griffith also admitted stealing a length of pipe from the entrance of Amman Valley Comprehensive School during refurbishment work over the summer. He told officers he had sold the pipe.

Magistrates were told Griffith had 44 convictions relating to 99 separate criminal offences.

Magistrates decided to adjourn sentencing for the completion of probation reports, but warned Griffith that all options – including jail –would remain open to them.