A MAN who tried to rob a shop for cash using a knife, while also carrying out a “spree” of domestic burglaries to fund his alcohol addiction, is beginning a 40-month prison term.

Michael Moore was drinking 15-20 cans of lager a day when he tried unsuccessfully to rob the Luxton’s store on Cardiff Road, Newport, on the evening of Thursday, July 13 of this year.

Hours later he stole 200 DVDs from a flat in nearby Pottery Terrace, Pill, and by the end of July had committed three other burglaries.

During the four break-ins, he stole two Xbox games consoles, Xbox controllers, a Playstation console and games, a laptop, an iPad, and some loose change.

He sold the Xbox consoles at the Cash Generator store in Newport, thus committing offences of fraud by false representation.

Prosecuting counsel Rachel Knight told Newport Crown Court that 27-year-old Moore aroused suspicion in the shopkeeper at the Luxton’s store when he entered at around 7pm on July 13, with his hood up despite the warm weather.

After asking the price of a bottle of Jack Daniels, while trying to hide the lower part of his face by lifting his clothing, “he pulled out a three-inch bladed knife from his trouser pocket,” said Miss Knight.

“He gestured it towards her (the shopkeeper), but it was close to his body, and said “open the till, I need the money”.

“She pressed a different button on the till to erase the amount and and it closed. He then started pressing random buttons on the till.”

The shopkeeper meanwhile gestured towards the CCTV, hoping someone upstairs would see the incident on the screen, and banged on a cigarette display stand several times.

Seemingly unnerved, Moore - of Courtybella Terrace, Pill, Newport - left and walked away down Mendalgief Road.

He subsequently committed the Pottery Terrace burglary, and carried out the others at homes in Commercial Street, Risca, on July 24 and 25, and in Mendalgief Road, Newport, on July 27.

Moore pleaded guilty to the first two burglaries before magistrates in August, receiving a community order which included unpaid work. He was arrested in connection with the other offences on September 15.

“He was drinking 15-20 cans of lager a day, drinking from when he woke up, and committed these offences to fund his addiction,” said Miss Knight.

She added that he had targeted the homes in a “spree” of burglaries.

Defence counsel Sarah Waters said Moore had been unwilling to reveal the details of “severe family problems” that caused him to turn to drink and drugs, with drink being the “driving factor” behind his recent offending.

“From late 2016 into this year, he has gone completely off the rails,” she said.

“The escalation (of his offending) has been horrendous.”

Moore was given a 32-month sentence for attempted robbery. Concurrent eight-month terms for the burglaries which will run consecutively with the former sentence, a total of 40 months.

A four-month sentence for fraud will also run concurrently. The community order from the magistrates’ court was revoked.