TWO men walked into Boots at Prestatyn and stole a quantity of sun glasses valued at £2,950.

They had previously stolen power tools from Boys & Boden builders merchants in Bretton, near Broughton.

One of them, James Woodiwiss, 36, of Western Court in Newton, Chester, admitted stealing the sunglasses but denied the power tools theft and was convicted in his absence at an earlier trial in Llandudno.

Appearing at North East Wales Magistrates Court at Mold he was placed on a 12 month community order with rehabilitation.

He was fined £100 with £380 compensation for the power tools, an £85 surcharge and £250 towards the prosecution costs.

Woodiwiss had previous convictions for 78 offences.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson said two men walked into Boots on February 22, put high value sun glasses into a bag and fled the store.

A getaway vehicle was waiting outside with a driver and it was seen to drive off at speed.

Police stopped the car 20 minutes later at Deeside Industrial Park and the vehicle had been seized.

The stolen sunglasses were found in the vehicle.

The theft of the power tools, which also involved the same two men, took place in April of last year.

Probation officer Andrew Connah said Woodiwiss had little recollection of the theft of power tool and said he had been found guilty in his absence.

He accepted the theft of sun glasses. He was under the influence of alcohol at the time.

Woodiwiss worked as a landscape driver and also did delivery work at the weekend.

But he accepted that he was a dependent drinker who drank 20 pints or a bottle of vodka a day.

He knew that could not carry on and he was motivated to change.

Solicitor Emma Simoes, defending, said her client had a number of previous convictions but intervention from the probation service had not been tried for a long time.