A MAN and woman plundered a trolley-full of food worth more than £500 from Ammanford's Tesco store before dumping the goods on a rugby field.
William Michael Omand, 27, and Melanie Williams, 40, of Glynhir Road, Llandybie pleaded guilty to stealing items to the value of £532.78.
Prosecutor Gerald Neave told Magistrates in Llanelli: "At half past midday on February 22 the defendants entered the Tesco store in Ammanford. They filled a trolley with a large quantity of items."
Mr Neave told the court the incident had been captured on the store's CCTV.
He added: "At three minutes past one, Williams can be seen exiting the store and waiting in the foyer. A few minutes later, the defendant Omand left the store making no attempt to pay for the items.
"Both of them began to fill the boot of the Renault with the stolen items.
"A few minutes later they were approached by Tesco staff. They were seen to abandon the trolley, which still contained a number of items. Security staff made their best attempt to stop the vehicle by opening the doors, but the vehicle drove off."
Mr Neave told the court the Renault was later seen at a rugby club near Pantyffynon.
He said: "They reversed the vehicle onto the pitch and unloaded the items from the vehicle and on to the rugby pitch." Omand has previous convictions and was under a 12-month conditional disch- arge for a similar offence.
The court heard that in police interview he said: "I have done this for my own health. I haven't had any dole money for five weeks. I have left Hull to come off drink and drugs. I thought I could get away with it once until I got my first dole. My intention was to eat the food."
Mitigating for Omand, Hywel Davies said: "My client had decided that he was on a one-way slope and he needed to leave Hull behind and have a fresh start away from drink and drugs. He has been clean since he came to this area."
Williams's solicitor Ruth Meyrick said: "My client accepts that this was a stupid thing to do. She has been feeling very depressed. Her mother died last year, it was very sudden and she is having to deal with this, but she can't afford to pay for the funeral expenses.
"They went around putting things in the trolley and she suddenly became aware that there wouldn't be enough money to pay for the items. It was a spur of the moment thing."
Presiding magistrate William Arwyn Davies served Omand with a community order requiring him to complete 60 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for 12 months.
He must also pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £60.
Williams was discharged conditionally for 24 months and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £15.