A "PERSISTENT fraudster," who targeted stores in Haverfordwest with a sophisticated scam he had carried out before, has been jailed today, March 22, for 12 months.

Siphosenkosi Maplanka, aged 31, admitted three offences of fraud by falsely claiming that he was entitled to refunds.

Helen George, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court how Maplanka went to the Debehams store in Haverfordwest on July 12 last year and picked up three pairs of Levi jeans.

He went into a changing room and put them into a Debenhams bag he had in a rucksack. Then, he approached an assistant and asked for a refund, pretending he had bought the jeans from a Debenhams branch in Newport, Gwent.

Miss George said Maplanka showed the assistant an ‘ap’ on his mobile that appeared to support his story and she ‘refunded’ him £260.

Within an hour Maplanka, of Burry Port, carried out a similar scam at the town's Tesco store, where he was given a £140 refund for jackets he had just picked up from a clothes rack.

Miss George said Maplanka came unstuck when he returned to the Debehams store a few days later and again tried to ‘return’ jeans he had never purchased. But the assistant recognised him and the police were called.

Maplanka, said Miss George, had 10 previous convictions for almost identical frauds.

Jon Tarrant, representing Maplanka, said he had a first class marketing degree, but he had lost his job and fallen behind with his rent.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke described Maplanka as a persistent fraudster who turned to crime whenever he needed money.

The offences had been sophisticated and well planned, she added.