Conflicting account over stolen TVs

A SHOPLIFTER gave conflicting accounts of how he happened to have two stolen 42” in his house, magistrates at Aberystwyth heard.

Richard Owen, 47, of Kingsmead, Lampeter, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods, and theft from a shop.

Prosecuting Helen Tench said that on December 22 an employee of Lampeter Cooperative Store had witnessed Owen leaving the store, having placed a number of electrical items in a bag and making no attempt to pay for the goods.

After Owen was challenged by the staff member outside the store, he dropped a box containing a food processor valued at £60, but got into his car with the other items and drove off, ignoring calls to return to the store.

Owen was traced through his car registration, and arrested. In an interview he said that he could remember leaving the store and dropping the box.

The TVs were found in Owen’s house, and he initially claimed he had bought them online to sell at a profit. However, he later changed his story and said that he had bought them fro m a man he only knew by his first name.

The items – which included three portable speakers, 2 FM radios, a USB cable and two hair clippers – were not recovered.

In mitigation, Janem Jones pointed out that Owen had no convictions prior to these incidents, and had ‘put his hands up immediately’ to the theft.

Ms Jones said that the defendant had been ‘particularly worked up’ when interviewed, and had initially made up the story of how he came to have the TVs.

However, he had later admitted that he had been given them, and that he had had an indication that they were stolen.