A MAN stole wine from a supermarket and then turned himself in at a police station minutes later in a "cry for help," a court heard.

Michael Wright, of Penmon Close in Blacon, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday afternoon.

The 28-year-old had admitted one count of theft from a shop at a previous hearing.

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, told the court the offence - which put him in breach of a Crown Court suspended sentence - took place on August 16 this year.

On that evening, he attended Deeside Police station, telling officers he'd meant to 'sign on' earlier but had failed to do so.

He was told to speak to police in Chester, but he pointed out he was homeless and was referred to a shelter in Queensferry.

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But at around 9pm, he went into Tesco at Connah's Quay Precinct and stole a bottle of wine.

Fifteen minutes later, he was back at Deeside Police Station and told officers he wanted to admit stealing the wine; which by then was partially consumed and on the floor.

He told the police he was "an alcoholic and prison was the best place for him."

Adam Antowski, defending, said: "The biggest factor is the alcohol that has blighted Mr Wright throughout his life.

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"But he has now reconciled with his partner of four years and has since the last sentence demonstrated a commitment to try and resolve his alcohol issues.

"This offence properly characterises his own struggles with alcohol - he goes in[to the shop], steals the wine, knows it's the wrong thing to do and then immediately goes to the police station and says I've just stolen this bottle of wine."

Mr Antowski invited the court to impose an alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement, given his client is not 'dependent' on alcohol and would therefore be eligible for such an order.

Recorder Simon Mills told the defendant: "What you have done on this occasion has what I cautiously describe as 'cry for help' written all over it.

"I am going to assume you reached some terrible point in your life which caused the sequence of events I have been told about which led to these visits to the police station.

The Leader:

"This is a low value theft, committed in circumstances where I think you were actually trying to get yourself in trouble and were honest with the police about it."

Wright was handed a 12 month community order and must undergo a 120 day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement for the theft.

For breaching the suspended sentence, he was fined £100 and must pay a £114 victim surcharge.