A Tenby man stole from a local shop to survive after he found himself sleeping rough, a court has heard.

Andrew Broadhurst, care of Newell Hill, pleaded guilty to theft from a shop when he appeared at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday, June 4.

Sian Vaughan, prosecuting, said Broadhurst, 53, was captured on CCTV selecting a number of items at the Co-Op store Kilgetty on December 1.

“He placed them in a trolley and left the store without attempting to pay.

“He made full admissions in interview. The exact value of the items taken is not known.”

Jonathan Webb, defending, said Broadhurst had been struggling to get accommodation at the time of the offence, as he had split up with his partner and was unable to claim benefits.

“At the time Mr Broadhurst was more or less living rough.

“He was pinching food stuffs from the Co-Op to survive. Since then he has managed to get back on his feet.

Magistrates fined Broadhurst £40 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £30 surcharge.