A MAN from East London has started a prison sentence after stealing fuel worth £210 from two petrol stations in Pembrokeshire.
Thomas Dredge, aged 32, from Greenfield Gardens, Dagenham, was arrested in Carmarthen following reports of thefts in Pembrokeshire on Wednesday, June 17.
It followed two reports of a white van making off without paying for fuel at two petrol stations in Haverfordwest earlier that day.
At approximately 2.55pm on Wednesday a white Ford Transit made off without paying for £106.52 of diesel from Ridgeway Service Station.
A little over an hour later police received a second report of making off without payment, this time of £104.38 of diesel, from the Morrisons garage in Haverfordwest. Once again this vehicle was a white Transit, however it displayed a different registration number to the first theft.
Shortly before 4pm on Wednesday, a white Transit was spotted travelling eastbound on the A40 at St Clears, before Carmarthenshire RPU officers stopped the van as it approached Carmarthen.
Found in the back of the van were nine plastic drums, six of which were full of diesel, and three grams of cannabis.
Two sets of registration plates, matching those used in the fuel thefts, were found in the engine bay of the van.
On Friday Dredge pleaded guilty to two charges of making off without payment to the value of £210.90, two counts of using a false instrument and possession of cannabis when he appeared before Swansea Magistrates Court.
He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison.
Sgt Justin Williams, from the Pembrokeshire RPU, said: “This conviction was a fantastic result that came about from a good team effort between two divisions in the force’s area.
“We will continue to target criminals who travel into our force area to commit crimes.”
