A Cardigan teenager could not remember stealing alcohol during a weekend-long drinking binge, a court has heard.

Dean Peter Thomas, aged 19, of 6 Golwg y Castell, pleaded guilty to theft from a shop, when he appeared before Aberystwyth magistrates on Wednesday.

The court heard that Thomas was caught on CCTV stealing vodka, another bottle of spirits and tins of alcohol from the Co-operative store, Cardigan, on September 27.

Nick Newton, prosecuting, said camera footage showed Thomas entering the shop with a female and he was seen to take items and put them in the rucksack she was holding.

When arrested, Thomas told police he could not remember the events of the day in question, because he had been drinking heavily from Friday to Sunday.

Mr Newton said: “He said he did not even know who the female that was with him was.”

He added that the store was able to identify Co-op branded vodka worth £11.99 as one of the items taken, but was unable to put a figure on the other items stolen.

Alison Mathias, defending, said: “To this day he still has no recollection of the events. He can’t explain why what happened, happened, he can’t say who the female was, or if he even benefited from the items stolen.”

She added: “He had been on a drinking binge for the weekend, but says he has not taken a drop since, so perhaps that’s a lesson learned.”

Magistrates fined Thomas £75 and ordered him to pay £85 court costs, a £20 victim surcharge and £11.99 compensation to the Co-operative store.