A man who entered a restricted area at Abergavenny's Borough Theatre and stole bags containing almost £1,000 in cash, has been sentenced to 38 weeks in prison.

A court at Cardiff heard that a black male, later identified as 42 year old Ian Moses Francis, had been captured on CCTV entering the Borough Theatre on the night of Sunday, July 20 and leaving the building carrying a number of bags.

CCTV?cameras in the town centre had then picked him up as he made his way out of the area and he had later been traced to the Great Western Hotel where he had been arrested in possession of some £800 with further property - including cash bags, a purse, raffle tickets and cash found on the bed allocated to him in the hotel's dormitory.

Mr John Probert, prosecuting said Francis had refused to be interviewed by police but had presented a prepared statement in which he denied that it was him seen on the CCTV?pictures, claimed that the money in his pockets belonged to him and was not the result of criminal activity and that the property found in the dormitory had belonged to someone else at the hotel.

Mr Probert told the court that Francis, who pleaded guilty to the offence, had made 37 appearances before courts with 137 previous offences recorded with a total of 31 being for burglary - with many offences carried out in leisure centres.

"While the theatre is not a leisure centre I would suggest that this indicates a pattern of offending," said Mr Probert.

Mr Probert told the court that Francis had been remanded in custody since July 21 although has only been on remand for this offence since September 4 as before that he was serving part of a suspended sentence imposed by another court.

Defending Francis Ms Jo James said that her client had asked for a two week adjournment for pre sentence reports to be prepared.

"This is an unusual request for a defendant to make but he feels that he has issues which he wants addressed and thinks the probation service can help him," she said.

"My client says that he went to the theatre looking for a taxi and found the money lying on the top of a counter and took it. The money was returned very quickly so there was no loss to the theatre,"

"He feels that he has ADHD and thinks that the probation service may help where the doctors he has seen, can't," she said.

Mr Recorder Timothy Brennan felt however that this would not be an appropriate use of the probation service's time and sentenced Francis to 38 weeks in prison.

"You walked into the theatre into an area where the public is not permitted and stole £1,000 in cash which would not have been returned if you hadn't been identified.

"You have presented a hopeless defence and a not guilty plea which you have maintained right up to the day of trial. Witnesses have brought to court today so your belated guilty plea at this stage doesn't attract much credit" said Mr Recorder Brennan.

" I am wholly unconvinced by your suggestion that you were at the theatre looking for a taxi as you almost certainly targeted the premises. Your suggestion that the probation service could help with your self diagnosed ADHD?would be an incorrect use of its time," he added.