A MAN who stole hundreds of pounds worth of alcohol from a Chester city centre restaurant was already on bail for two other thefts.

Stephen Mark Sailes, 43, of Raymond Street, Chester, had previously stolen fragrances worth £69 from Debenhams in Chester on September 17 and had picked up pressurised aerosol cylinders on Canal Street between August 19 and September 2, Chester Magistrates Court heard on Thursday, October 31.

After being arrested and charged by police, Sailes was on bail and due to appear before the court on October 4 in connection with the two offences.

But while on bail, Sailes entered the back of the Panda Mami restaurant on Newgate Street just before midnight on September 22 and stole alcohol in a burglary.

Prosecuting, Rob Youds told the court Sailes had damaged a window at the restaurant and returned later with another man at 1am to remove more alcohol.

Sailes pleaded guilty to all offences at the first opportunity and magistrates handed him a suspended prison term.

Mr Youds told the court Sailes had been identified initially on Debenhams' CCTV and when police arrived at his address they found boxes of compressed gas labelled as Nail Fuel Packs.

Sailes told police he had been walking at about midnight a few weeks prior and saw them. He saw no-one else around so took them.

For the Panda Mami burglary, he had stolen £470 of alcohol, with £250 of damage caused to the window.

He had 13 previous convictions for 22 offences, nine of them for theft and dishonesty crimes.

Stephen Ferns, defending, said Sailes had shown remorse and had referred himself to services to get help for his drug problem and had been working with the West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission.

He was likely to comply with any community order as his last breach for that was back in 1994.

A probation report heard Sailes had been subject to a community order, for which he had complied with the two-week curfew and had attended 12 out of a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

There were concerns he had committed similar offences but he had now found stable accommodation and had completed positive relevant community work.

Chair of magistrates Maurice Mcbridge told Sailes while the offences had "clearly" crossed the custody threshold, there were grounds to suspend it.

He said: "We have had a good letter [from the West Cheshire Poverty Truth Commission] to say that maybe the penny has dropped. This is not a lifestyle you can continue without the expectation of going to prison.

"We are going to suspend the sentence for 24 months – that is a hell of a long time for you to carry on the straight and narrow."

The 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, is to go alongside a new 12-month community order to include 35 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

Sailes must pay £360 compensation to Panda Mami restaurant, £69 compensation to Debenhams, a 3122 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

The court heard Sailes already owed more than £1,600 in court costs and fines.