A SERIAL thief dubbed “Gwent’s most prolific offender” is back behind bars after racking up almost 400 convictions.

Newport man Andrew Davies, 34, dubbed “Fingers”, has been an offender since the age of 15 and has spent most of the last 18 years in jail serving time for thefts and burglaries.

Davies, of Palmyra Place, Newport, has been dealt with by every possible means available to the justice system, a court heard.

He appeared before Newport Crown Court to appeal against his 398th conviction – for a theft of jars of coffee – but changed his mind during the hearing and said he planned to mend his ways.

Davies was sent back to prison to finish his sentence but will be out in two weeks, the court heard.

Judge William Gaskell cast doubts as to whether he could address his offending, and told him: “The only way to overcome this is by your own decision.

“Just try to get a grip on your life and grow up.”

Davies was jailed for 14 weeks following the coffee theft at a Spar store in Caerlon Road, Newport.

The court heard he was “hopelessly drunk” when he was arrested after putting the jars of coffee in his rucksack on May 21.

A Spar manager found five jars of coffee in his bag after seeing him acting suspiciously in one of the aisles, the court heard.

He left the store but police arrested him after finding he still had two jars of coffee from Spar in his rucksack.

He launched an appeal against his sentence but decided to drop it in court on Friday.

Stuart McLeese, for Davies, indicated that his client planned to start with a clean slate.

He said his client expected this would be “the last time he was in trouble” with the law, adding: “He intends to change his ways.”

Davies has been jailed on many occasions over the years, including in 2006 after admitting burglary of HMV, burglary of Peacocks, Maindee, stealing perfume from Next and shoplifting from Spar.

At the time prosecutor Craig Bond said: “He is probably Gwent’s most prolific offender.”

In March 2011 Davies was jailed for 32 weeks after admitting stealing six jars of Nescafé from Marks and Spencer.

Newport Crown Court heard he had planned to sell the coffee taken from Spar on May 21.