A MAN who took a Christmas present whilst burgling a woman's garage returned it very quickly afterwards with an apology after her brother caught up with him, a court heard.
Shaun Lloyd, presently of HMP Berwyn, appeared at Mold Magistrates Court via video link from HMP Berwyn on Thursday.
The 40-year-old admitted that on February 8 and February 11 last year, he burgled a property other than a dwelling in Holywell.
Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told the court that on the morning in question, Holywell resident Siobhan Rush got up and opened her door to let her dog out.
She noticed her front and side gates were open, which was not normal.
When she then checked her garage, she found it open, with a some form of 'makeshift crowbar' on the floor nearby.
Inside, she realised her daughter's Christmas present - a mountain bike - had been taken.
Ms Rush tried to report the matter to police on 101 and when she couldn't get through she posted about the theft on Facebook.
That afternoon her brother, Matthew Inskip, contacted her to ask if the bike had been found - to which she said no.
Just two minutes later, he contacted her again to confirm he'd spoken to a male he knew to be Shaun Lloyd and that the bike would be returned within half an hour.
The defendant appeared at her home within a matter of minutes with the bike, which he took into the front garden and told Ms Rush, who had started recording him for evidence: "Sorry, I didn't know it was Matty's sister's bike."
The complainant told Lloyd he needed to stop behaving in such a way - to which the defendant gave her a thumbs up and walked away.
Ms Rush did subsequently report the matter to the police and Lloyd was interviewed, when he admitted having returned the bike.
Ms Jackson told the court Lloyd has 49 previous convictions for 144 offences; 35 of which are for theft and related matters.
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He appeared before the court in custody because he received an immediate jail term of 34 weeks in February this year.
Amy Rowley, defending, told the court: "The defendant entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity and is entitled to credit.
"This offence is an age; he's waited until today to answer for a crime he committed a year an four months ago.
"He is now a serving prisoner and is due for release on July 1. The delay, which is no fault of his, now stands to potentially impact his release date.
"At the time of the offence, he was homeless and in a desperate position.
"He took the bike on impulse and returned it, apologising to the complainant.
"He has a life and a job to return to, and is ready to make a new start outside custody."
The Magistrates recognised the delay in the case, and opted to fine the defendant £120, as well as ordering him to pay a £48 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
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