Prolific wine shoplifter jailed after at least 25 thefts at shops in his home town
A prolific shoplifter has been sent to prison for six months after admitting multiple charges of theft, three assaults by beating, and for damaging a police cell.
Jason Wargen, aged 48, of South Street, Leominster, was handed his sentence at Hereford Magistrates Court on Wednesday after admitting the string of offences that included him going back time and time again to the Co-op.
Most of the time he went to shops and stole two bottles of wine, sometimes up to three times in a single day.
Wargen stole from the Co-op in Leominster on September 28, October 2, October 3, October 5, November 9 (twice), November 10 (twice), November 11, November 12 (three charges), November 13, November 14 (three charges).
Wargen was separately charged with stealing a £314 of red wine from the Co-op, Leominster, between September 27 and November 15, and of stealing nine bottles of wine from the Co-op between November 12 and 15.
When Wargen wasn't stealing from the Co-op he went to Leominster service station and the Spar in the town on October 8, November 10 and November 13.
On November 15 he stole a four-pack of non-alcoholic Guinness, to the value of 4.99, from the Spar shop in Leominster.
Between September 9 and November 13, 2023 he stole multiple bottles of alcohol to a value of approximately £81.60 from the Applegreen service station in Leominster.
Wargen was handed multiple custodial sentences of eight weeks for the shoplifting offences, to run concurrently.
He was also sentenced for three counts of assaulting named women by beating them.
For an assault on Friday, November 10 he was handed an eight week consecutive custodial sentence.
He also admitted two counts of assault by beating on Wednesday, November 15, and was given two consecutive sentences of six weeks each.
Also on Wednesday, November 15 he damaged a West Mercia Police cell to the value of £195. Magistrates handed him no separate penalty for that.
When all the consecutive and concurrent sentences were added up the total custodial sentence was 26 weeks.
Magistrates decided that only a custodial sentence can be justified due to "numerous previous convictions, the amount of offences and failure to comply with non custodial sentences."