A MAN from Rhyl who stole laptops and bank cards from a person’s Colwyn Bay home, before using a card to purchase items for himself, has been spared jail.

Christopher Fuhrmann, 42, of East Parade, was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment, suspended for a year, at Mold Crown Court today (August 1).

He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of burglary of a dwelling, and fraud by false representation.

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Prosecuting, Thomas McLoughlin told the court that, on April 24, 2023, Leon Rabasa woke at his home in Colwyn Bay to find two laptops, keys, bank cards and business card were missing.

His coats had been moved, and items which had been inside the coats’ pockets had gone.

The laptops had a significant amount of music-based software installed on them, which Mr Rabasa would use for work.

A PayPal business card which had been taken from him was subsequently used in Llandudno and Colwyn Bay to buy items totalling £248.24, including food, shoes, toiletries and alcohol.

Fuhrmann’s fingerprints were discovered at the home of Mr Rabasa, who had left his bathroom window open on the night he was burgled.

The defendant was arrested at The Picture House pub in Colwyn Bay on April 26, wearing trainers matching a description which formed part of his fraudulent transactions.

In a statement, Mr Rabasa, a professional business owner in the music industry, said Fuhrmann’s offences were “truly devastating, to say the least”.

He said he lost work as a result of the laptops being stolen, and spoke of the “damage this caused to me mentally and emotionally”.

Defending Fuhrmann, who had two previous convictions for four offences, Gareth Bellis said his client “fully accepts his guilt”.

Fuhrmann, who Mr Bellis said “had a dreadful start to life”, had not been before the courts since 2013.

“Damaged people damage people,” he said.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Petts told Fuhrmann he had caused Mr Rabasa “considerable inconvenience and financial hardship”.

He ordered Fuhrmann to complete 25 days’ rehabilitation activity, and to pay Mr Rabasa £400 in compensation.

“As much as I’d like to order you to reimburse your victim in full, in reality, you don’t have the money to do so,” Judge Petts told him.