A NEWPORT man who stole more than £6,500 from a coffee shop in the Royal Gwent Hospital and expensive office equipment from St Woolos Hospital has avoided a custodial sentence.

Lloyd Miller, aged 26, of Friars Road in Newport, previously pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one charge of possessing a Class B drug at Newport Crown Court on May 1.

The charges relate to two separate incidents and Miller had been on bail for both of the offences.

Cardiff Crown Court heard today how on December 11, 2014, Miller stole £6,880.15, a total of 33 gas charging units and a number of soft drinks from Costa Coffee at the Royal Gwent Hospital.

When asked by his father, David Miller, about the money, Miller claimed that he was holding the money for a drug dealer. Ultimately, the money was never recovered.

On February 2, 2015, Miller, wearing scrubs, stole projectors and print cartridges from St Woolos Hospital and cannabis was found on his person upon his arrest.

In his police interview on February 2, Miller claimed that he was taking photographs at St Woolos Hospital but no camera was found when he was arrested.

He added that he was fixated on the hospital as his late grandmother, who died in 2013, worked there.

Miller had no previous convictions and defending, Ms Thomas said: “It was after his grandmother died that his drug use began.

“He would spend nights in the tunnels between the hospitals and the CCTV of the incidents just shows him wandering around the hospitals.

“There’s a high value of loss involved but this was executed in an amateur way.”

The court heard how Miller has been attending weekly drug rehabilitation sessions at Kaleidoscope since February and, summing up, Judge Neil Bidder said the support of his parents was key to his decision not to impose a custodial sentence.

He said: “There are elements of eccentricity and dishonesty here. These are surprising offences.

“It’s important that your parents have supported you but if you offend again, you cannot expect a second chance.”

Judge Bidder issued a 21-week suspended sentence for the Costa coffee burglary. He also handed down a 15-week suspended sentence for the St Woolos burglary and a one-week suspended sentence for the cannabis charge, which will both run concurrently.

All three sentences will be suspended for 12 months.

Miller will also have to do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge of £80 within two months.

Judge Bidder also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the cannabis seized.