Jailed: Alcoholic's £1,600 booze shoplifting spree in Newport

Mark Richard Davies had stolen bottles of spirits worth £1,638 from a Newport supermarket by repeatedly carrying them out of the shop under his coat and putting them into the boot of his car.

He used this method to take 92 bottles out of the Co-op branch to his Vauxhall Zafira, where a driver was waiting.

Davies's thieving spree continued as he parked his car in the High Street and went on to steal a £23 rib eye steak from Waitrose and £55 of toiletries from Boots the Chemist.

But he was stopped when a member of Boots staff followed him outside and took the keys out of the car's ignition as Davies shouted "Go, go, go!" to the driver, said Mrs Katie Price, prosecuting at Telford Magistrates Court.

Police were called and Davies was arrested.

The 54-year-old committed the offences on Saturday while on a 12-week suspended prison sentence, which was activated when he admitted the three-theft offences, magistrates heard.

Mrs Price told the court Davies had walked into the Co-op supermarket in the town and filled up a trolley full of spirits.

He then took the trolley to a frozen food aisle and placed several bottles under his coat before walking out and unloading them into the boot of his car which was parked outside.

He repeated the process until the trolley was empty and was then driven around to High Street, where he stole sunglasses and tanning lotion from Boots and the steak from Waitrose.

Mrs Price said that following his arrest Davies, of Waypost Court, Northampton, told police that the driver had no idea about his shoplifting that day.

The police recovered all the stolen items from the car, but the steak was not in a condition to resell.

As well as activating his 12-week prison sentence, magistrates ordered Davies to serve a further 16 weeks consecutively for the three offences committed in Newport.

He was also told to pay a £80 victim surcharge and a £180 criminal court charge.

For Davies, Mr Paul Nicholas said the defendant lived alone, having been banned from contacting his three children by their mother.

He said that the defendant had begun treatment for his alcoholism as a result of a previous court order and was due to be interviewed to join a waiting list for a residential rehabilitation course.

"His goal was always to get into rehab, get his mind straight, come out sober and see his children," he added.