A 20-YEAR-OLD man with more than £5,000 in outstanding fines owed to the court – mainly made up of compensation orders – has pleaded guilty to a further charge of criminal damage.

Jordan Wells appeared in custody before magistrates sitting in Swindon on Tuesday afternoon after a warrant was issued for his arrest for the non-payment of previous fines which now stand at £5,300.

While before the magistrates the Durnford Road resident pleaded guilty to causing £180 of criminal damage to a store sign belonging to Sweets Galore on June 27 of last year.

The court heard the offence had been committed shortly before midday when there appeared to have been a disagreement between Wells and another man. Taking his anger out on the sign he kicked it which caused it to split.

But he wasn’t interviewed by police about the matter until November, and in that time had been convicted of breaking a pane of glass in the door of the House of Fraser outlet store on Wharf Green. He also spent 14 weeks behind bars at the tail end of last year.

Sentencing him, chairman of the bench Paul Morris said the magistrates had considered that had the matter been brought to court along with the other offences they would have been dealt with in one go.

They fined him £50, but as he had been in police custody since 10am on Tuesday morning they deemed this fine to be spent.

They also made no award for compensation to the sweet shop for the damaged sign after hearing he had £5,300 in outstanding court fines that needed to be paid.

He has been ordered to repay the debt at a rate of £20 per month.