A Cardigan man has been jailed after shoplifting and spitting at staff and a PCSO, while on a suspended sentence he 'could not remember'.

Michael Parker, aged 35, of Room 2, Richmond House, Napier Street, appeared before Aberystwyth magistrates on Wednesday.

He pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol and groceries worth £124.29 from Aldi on May 11, and assaulting Dominic Harris, Sam Giles and community support officer Matthew Kieboom by beating on the same date.

Dennis Davies, prosecuting, told the court staff members saw Parker acting suspiciously in the store and he was caught on CCTV placing bottles of Schnapps, Whiskey and Gin in his rucksack.

He returned to the shop later the same day, and was seen putting joints of meat in his bag and leaving without paying.

When staff members Dominic Harris and Sam Giles asked him to go back inside the store, he struggled and swore at them saying he was a boxer.

He was put on the floor and began spitting and kicking out, saying he was going to kill them.

He continued to be aggressive and abusive to the PCSO who arrived on the scene, and swore at him and called him a ‘pig’.

Mr Davies said: “The defendant started making noises as if he was gathering phlegm. He spat out and they were caught by the spray.”

Following his arrest, Parker told police he had been at a friend’s house and had taken MDMA, and could not remember much afterwards.

Iestyn Davies, defending, said: “He is mortified it happened. He is not someone who is violent, and finds it very difficult to reconcile spitting with something he would do.

“He can’t remember, but is not in a position to question the evidence. He accepts what the witnesses say.”

The court heard the offence put Parker in breach of a suspended sentence imposed by a Glamorgan court in 2013.

Mr Davies added: “After the conviction he fell off a ladder and was in a coma for weeks. He came to, but has no recollection of the last 35 years of his life.

“He recently moved back to Cardigan to be closer to his children, and his life is very difficult.

“Given his accident, he was subject to a suspended sentence order that he did not know about. He could not remember it.”

Magistrates activated and reduced Parker’s suspended sentence, and he was sentenced to six weeks in custody, plus six weeks for the four offences, to run consecutively, making a total of 12.