A serial shoplifter who planned to sell a stolen television was thwarted when pursuing supermarket staff seized it – before he was run over.

Magistrates heard drug addict Ricky Lee Davies, 31, of Grosvenor Road, Wrexham, had run into the path of a car.

His run of bad luck continued when he was jailed for a year. He appeared on crutches in custody and admitted a string of thefts including a £349 Samsung TV from Tesco in Wrexham.

Davies also pleaded guilty to stealing electric toothbrushes from Superdrug at Wrexham, meat worth £457 from Marks & Spencer, running off with cigarettes costing more than £90 from shops on two occasions, and theft of a £79 patio set from Asda.

In addition he admitted assaulting a 22-year-old Wrexham chip shop worker and threatening behaviour.

The court at Llandudno ordered him to pay more than £800 compensation for the stolen goods, apart from the recovered TV, and £50 each to the assault victim Zoe Forward and a boy of 17.

Prosecutor James Neary said the youth had intervened after Davies swiped a charity box with his arm and the box hit the leg of Miss Forward, causing a bruise.

When quizzed by police about the thefts, Davies had explained that he depended on drugs and was on benefits, said Mr Neary. He had intended to sell the TV to feed his addiction.

Sally Stokes, defending, accepted that Davies had an “unenviable” record. He had been for rehabilitation voluntarily, but then lived in shared accommodation surrounded by other drug addicts and he relapsed.

Court chairman Manu Patiar told Davies: ”Only custody will do.”