AN ABUSIVE Hereford thief has been jailed after committing a string of offences in the county.

Jason Wargen appeared before magistrates in Hereford for sentencing in December after entering guilty pleas to 29 counts of theft from a shop, one count of criminal damage, three counts of assault by beating, and one count of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence at an earlier hearing.

The court heard from prosecutor Mark Hambling that the 48-year-old had carried out a string of thefts from shops in Leominster between August and November, stealing goods including a large number of bottles of wine, non-alcoholic Guinness, and other alcohol products.

ALSO READ:

He had also assaulted a woman by beating in Leominster on September 5, another woman by beating in Leominster on November 10, and a third woman by beating in Leominster on November 15, and used threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour towards another man with intent to cause him to believe that unlawful violence would be used against him or provoke him to use unlawful violence in Leominster on August 21.

He had further caused £195 worth of damage to a police van cell belonging to West Mercia Police in Leominster on November 15.

Magistrates said the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified due to Wargen's numerous previous convictions, the amount of offences, and his failure to comply with non-custodial sentences.

Wargen, of South Street, Leominster, was jailed for a total of 26 weeks.