A CHESTER man took advantage of his father's goodwill and stole a Rolex watch from a safe at his home.

Simon David Evans, 31, of Newbury Road, had been invited into his father's home to shower and warm up, after he had been spotted outside the property on October 13 this year.

Mold Crown Court heard how Evans only stayed for around 20 minutes and that four days later, his father went to his safe and noticed a Rolex watch, worth around £7,000 and two rings, valued at around £400 were missing.

Dafydd Roberts, prosecuting, told the court how Evans admitted to taking the valuable items and how he had pawned the rings at a shop in Mold and sold the Rolex at a jewellers in Chester for £3000, money he later used to buy a new i-phone, clothes and perfume, among other items.

In a text message sent to his brother, Evans told him, "I don't know why the f**k I did it. I've tried to pluck up the courage to phone Dad, but if I was him I wouldn't even answer the phone."

His father provided a personal victim statement to the court in which he said "It is extremely sad that it has come to this. I hope by making this complaint he is able to get the help he needs."

Mr Roberts went on to say how Evans has six previous convictions for theft, dating back some five years, when he was just 26 years of age.

Emily Carlisle, defending, said her client was realistic about the prospect of being given a custodial sentence and how his best mitigation was his guilty pleas.

She said: "He has reached his lowest point in committing offences as serious and unpleasant as this.

"He feels thoroughly ashamed and although he has previous convictions, this is his first appearance at Crown court and he knows he needs to wake up and grow up."

Ms Carlisle went on to say how addiction was at the route of Evans' behaviour and since being in custody following his first appearance at Wrexham Magistrates Court on November 13 had since been moved from the detox wing, to the recovery wing.

His Honour Judge Niclas Parry told Evans that his action had been "despicable" after his father had been the victim of a crime after he had "felt sorry for you".

He said: "You stole what was valuable to him and I'm sure are therefore worth more than value given to them here.

"You have a bad record and for cases like this, I always look at whether I can suspend it, but you've already been given two previous chances so you would be going for the hattrick."

Judge Parry gave Evans maximum credit for his early guilty pleas as he handed him a nine months jail term.

He added: "Take the support, don't re-offend."