A DRUNK man who twice pushed aside an elderly woman at Chester Railway Station before making an inappropriate comment to a store till assistant has been banned from entering parts of Chester.

Eifion Wyn Jones, 62, of High Street, Connah's Quay, had previously admitted both offences, which happened on September 22, 2020.

Appearing at Chester Magistrates Court on Monday, January 11 to be sentenced, Jones was handed a two-year community order and ordered to pay compensation to the victims.

Prosecuting, Jonathon Wilkinson said it was about 9am when Jones had entered the WH Smith store at the station and picked up a bottle to store away. He was confronted by store staff and admitted he was going to take it without paying.

He then twice pushed aside an elderly woman by getting hold of her by her shoulders and moving her aside, which made the woman feel unsettled and feared she was going to have her bank card stolen.

When asked by the store worker to put his PIN into the machine, Jones had replied: "Where? Up your bum."

Police arrived and Jones was arrested.

The court heard Jones was so drunk he urinated himself.

He had 57 previous convictions for 95 offences, including seven assaults and 13 public order offences.

Defending, Mark Evans said Jones had learning difficulties, mental health issues and, most significantly, alcohol issues.

The offending was a relatively minor matter but still unpleasant, and was over relatively quickly.

Jones "had no particular memory" of the incident but accepted the charges. He had gone off his medication and had spent a couple of nights in Chester.

Jones "did not mean to cause any offence" but it was his fault he got drunk.

Since the incident, he had stopped drinking alcohol completely and was on counselling, and was looking at being put in voluntary work.

Chair of magistrates Andrew Merrill said they were concerned Jones had been found at Chester Station drunk at 9am.

Jones must pay £50 compensation to the elderly woman, £25 compensation to the store worker, a £30 fine, £85 court costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

He was placed on a two-year community order, featuring up to 30 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was made the subject of an exclusion order preventing him from entering parts of Chester, including Chester Railway Station, City Road, Brook Street and Egerton Street.

As he left the court, Jones said to the magistrates: "Thanks for not throwing me into jail, sir."