Wayne Jones was jailed at Swansea Crown Court after pleaded guilty to affray
A PROLIFIC shoplifter who pulled a syringe on a store security guard and threatened to stab him as the pair struggled in the street has been sent to jail.
Wayne Jones had already shoplifted from four other businesses in Neath in the days before the incident — including taking a charity box from a pizza parlour — and had stolen a wallet from a parked van.
Swansea Crown Court heard that on the afternoon of May 25, just weeks after being given a community order for previous thefts and being banned from the town centre, Jones was seen on CCTV stealing almost £60-worth of toiletries from the Neath branch of Boot's.
Brian Simpson, prosecuting, said a security guard followed the 27-year-old out of the Water Street entrance of the shop and tried to detain him — Jones ran off but the guard caught him, and a "struggle" ensued.
Mr Simpson said Jones then produced a hypodermic needle and threatened to stab the security guard.
The court heard passers-by saw what was happening and rushed to the guard's aid, taking Jones to the floor.
When he was arrested, police found a small wrap of heroin in his trousers.
Jones, of Osterley Street, Briton Ferry, had previously pleaded guilty to affray and to possessing the Class A drug when he appeared via videolink for sentencing. He had also previously pleaded guilty to a theft committed the day before the Boot's incident — that had involved the defendant taking a wallet from a van parked on Neath Road in Briton Ferry while the owner worked nearby. The court heard Jones had subsequently been caught on CCTV using bank cards from the stolen wallet in a shop.
Jones also asked for four shoplifting offences committed on May 16, 17, 21 and 22 to be taken into consideration — those included thefts from the Tesco shop in Briton Ferry, taking a charity box from the counter of Domino's Pizza in Briton Ferry, and stealing perfume from Boot's in the town centre.
The court heard he committed all the offences after being given a 12-month community order for other shoplifting offences in Neath on May 13, when he had also been banned from the town centre.
Jones has 58 previous convictions for offences including shoplifting, burglary and public order.
Paul Hobson, for Jones, conceded his client had an "appalling record for dishonesty" and said that drugs lay at the heart of his offending.
The barrister added that his client had been released from prison following a sentence for previous matters a few days before Christmas last year, and stayed out of trouble until Easter when he had "relapsed".
Judge Paul Thomas said the affray and the threat to stab the security guard was "particularly unpleasant" — and he described Jones as a "complete and utter nuisance" to people in the Neath area.
He sentenced Jones to a total of nine months in prison.
The judge said to Jones: "At the age of 27 I am sure you can image a better life than the one you are living, and I hope you choose to live it."
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