A burglar stole an electronic bike worth £900 after its owner had left it in the warehouse where he worked. The thief was later identified on CCTV by police.

Carl Dudley, 41, stole a bike belonging to Carl Jones on August 2 at the Pant Industrial Estate in Merthyr Tydfil. Mr Jones arrived for work at Building Product Design having ridden in on his electric bike which he leant against a panel in the rear of the warehouse.

When he finished work at 2pm Mr Jones found the bike was missing. CCTV was viewed which showed a man, now known as the defendant, entering the yard before walking to the rear of the warehouse, putting his hood up, and riding off on the bike.

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A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Wednesday heard the matter was reported to the police and an officer was able to identify the thief as Dudley who was arrested and interviewed on September 19. The bike, which is worth £900, has never been recovered.

Dudley, of no fixed abode, later pleaded guilty to burglary and theft. The court heard he had 36 previous convictions including eight offences of non-dwelling burglary as well as dwelling burglaries.

In mitigation the court heard the defendant had lived a traumatic childhood which led to him taking drugs he couldn't afford and he became involved in theft to fund his habit. He was said to have lived a "wretched existence" in the outside world and seized any opportunity of theft made available to him.

Recorder Aidan Eardley KC sentenced Dudley to eight weeks imprisonment. He will serve half the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence.

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