A THIEF who went on a shoplifting spree has had his jail term more than halved after he appealed against his sentence.

Yarran Watkins stole meat, coffee, washing up tablets and honey from the Tesco Express, B&M and Poundland stores in Blackwood.

He also pinched meat from the Blackwood Service Station garage during a crime binge between March 8 and 15.

Sophie Keegan, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “On March 14, at around 1pm, the defendant entered the garage, picked up a basket, opened a fridge near the entrance and effectively loaded two shelves of meat into the basket and walked out of there.

“CCTV was reviewed and a post was put on Facebook to see if anyone could help identify Mr Watkins.

MORE NEWS

“The next day on March 15, just before midday, at Poundland, the shop owner there was made aware of a male who was attempting to shoplift.

“Mr Watkins was observed running out of the store with a basket full of items.

“He was unable to be caught because he was too fast.

“The footage was reviewed and again it was Mr Watkins in the footage.

“The items taken from that shop were four boxes of Ariel tablets and four boxes of Bold tablets.”

The total cost of the goods the defendant stole last month was £312.15.

Watkins pleaded guilty to five counts of theft and a separate offence of possession of a bladed article – a lock knife – in Apollo Way, Blackwood, on January 26.

The 28-year-old, of Commercial Street, Aberbargoed, Caerphilly, was jailed for six weeks consecutively for each count of theft, making a total of 30 weeks, plus 16 weeks for the bladed article offence.

The combined sentence imposed at Newport Magistrates’ Court was 46 weeks in prison.

Watkins, represented by William Bebb, appealed against the sentence by arguing the term imposed for the five counts of theft should have been concurrent.

The judge, Recorder Ben Blakemore, sitting with magistrates Nigel Buckland and Sharon Winter, reduced the defendant’s overall sentence from 46 weeks in jail to 22 weeks.

The court was told Watkins, who is in prison, refused to attend the hearing.