Daniel Thomas has convictions for 68 previous offences
A BURGLAR who smashed his way through the roof of a Post Office and stole thousands of pounds in pound coins then tried to use the coins to buy a car, a court has heard.
Daniel Thomas broke into the newsagents and Post Office in Sandfields, Port Talbot, in the early hours of November 15, then made a number of journeys to and from the premises over the course of the following two hours, using a sledge hammer to attack tills and display cabinets and making off with more than £4,300 — mainly in coins — along with around £2,000 of cigarettes.
Janet Gedrych, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that Thomas subsequently tried to buy a Renault Clio he saw advertised on Facebook — and went to the seller's Port Talbot flat with a thousand pound coins. The seller refused to take the coins and told him to go to a bank to change them into notes - which he did.
The barrister said that the remainder of the cash and the stolen cigarettes had never been recovered.
Thomas was later recognised by a police officer from CCTV footage taken inside the Morrison Road Post Office, and was subsequently arrested.
Thomas was caught on camera in Sandfields Post Office
Thomas, of Sandy Ridge, had previously pleaded guilty to burglary when he appeared for sentencing.
The court heard Thomas has 68 previous offences on his record, including convictions for a string of non-domestic burglaries going back a decade including break-ins at a social club, a youth centre, a primary school, a chip shop and a petrol station.
Ian Ibrahim, for Thomas, said his client was under the influence of Valium and the drug m-cat — also known as meow-meow — at the time of the burglary and could not remember much about what happened.
The barrister described the burglary as a "foolish and stupid" act, and said if Thomas - who was well-known in local area - had "given it five seconds thought" he would have realised he wouldn't have got away it.
Judge Paul Thomas told the defendant he had caused upset and inconvenience to the owner of the Post Office who was just trying to earn a living, adding that he had a "dreadful" record of offending.
He told him: "Once again you have committed a serious offence, a commercial burglary - on this occasion a Post Office
"While you keep committing burglaries, Mr Thomas, the courts will keep sending you to prison — it is as simple as that."
The judge sentenced Thomas to two years in prison.
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