A disabled man hid items from his shoplifting expeditions in his wheelchair, a court heard.

Richard Vyse admitted stealing two cans of Malibu and three bottles of Desperados worth together £11.45 from the Costcutter service station in King Street, Mold.

At North East Wales Magistrates’ Court he also admitted a separate theft of eight steaks, four joints of meat and two bottles of gin worth together £119.94 from Aldi in Mold.

On both occasions Vyse concealed the goods in his wheelchair which was pushed into both stores by an unknown female.

CCTV footage captured him in the act, although the defendant said he couldn’t remember the incidents as he was “off his head on drugs and alcohol” at the time. He told police he didn’t know who the woman was who had accompanied him on his thieving missions.

Vyse, 47, of Jubilee Court, Buckley admitted two counts of theft on July 24 and 25 this year.

Melissa Griffiths, defending, said the defendant suffered serious injuries in a 2008 road accident when he was in hospital for 13 months.

“He has had to learn to talk again and he struggles to deal with things on a daily basis,” she said.

Vyse was fined £150 and told to pay £131.39 compensation as well as costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £32.