Wrexham thief caught trying to open pet shop till said he was looking for goldfish

Williams, 46, a prolific thief, was addicted to Mamba Spice and had little recollection of the attempted theft at Petsave at the Butchers’ Market in Henblas Street, Wrexham, on Thursday.

Williams, who had 241 previous convictions to his name, appeared from custody at a weekend sitting of North East Wales Magistrates’ Court at Mold and admitted attempted theft and breaching his post sentence supervision.

Williams was bailed until June 17 for sentence on condition he lives at his flat at Grosvenor Road in Wrexham.

He is also banned from The Butchers’ Market.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told how at 3.20pm sales assistant Clare Tomlinson popped to a nearby store to buy a bottle of water and when she returned she saw a man behind the counter desperately trying to open the till.

In interview he was asked what he was doing and he said he was looking for a goldfish.

He had little recollection but told police that if they said he had done it, then he had done it.

Defending solicitor Elzbeth Kenny said her client had been homeless for years but now had his own accommodation.

The problem was that at that address he was housed with other males prone to use illicit drugs.

It was a sad picture of a man who had been on drugs for 22 years. He had been clear of heroin for two-and-a-half years but unfortunately he started taking Mamba Spice.

There was no detox programme to combat its withdrawal and he was in a continual vicious circle of going in and out of prison.

He had lost five stone in weight over the last three months and he was desperate for help from the probation service.

For the first time in a number of years he was ready to step up to the mark and accept assistance.

Her client had an unenviable record of previous convictions and had been sent to custody many times which was his own fault.

Magistrates agreed with the case should be adjourned for a report from the probation service.