A PORT Talbot traveller broke into the town's steelworks and stole £4,000 worth of cables.
George Aaron Locke, of Marsh Street, admitted one charge of theft and one count of criminal damage yesterday at Neath Magistrates' Court.
The court heard the Tata security team had received information that a number of people had been seen cutting a fence and entering the site in a white Transit van on Friday.
They carried out a search and once they located the van, security parked their vehicle in a road an attempt to stop Locke and another man from making off.
Locke then mounted a kerb to avoid being stopped and made his way through a number of the site's roads, pursued by security.
During the chase he drove through a security barrier, destroying it completely, before driving down a single track road which ended in a dead end.
Desperation
Police officers then joined the security team and Locke and his accomplice — who had made their way along a nearby beach and had begun to wade out into the sea — were apprehended.
In mitigation, defence solicitor Giles Hayes said Locke's actions were born out of a financial "desperation" and the £4,000 figure was an approximate amount.
"This is the first offence for dishonesty.
"The cables were lying waste in a yard," he said.
The court also heard Locke had committed the offence while on bail after pleading guilty to a charge of handling stolen goods on May 14 .
Probation officer Joanne Steadman said Locke had been trying to support his family and 13-month-old son.
"He and his family had no money, it was an opportunistic offence," she said. "His intention was to sell the cables to get money."
The 21-year-old was handed a 24- jail sentence, suspended for 18 months.
He was also handed an eight-week sentence for the handling stolen goods charge, which was also suspended for 18 months.
Locke will also complete a 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge of £80.
