A homeless man who went on an early morning St David's Day rampage was today jailed for 42 weeks.

Paul James Foulkes caused more than £10,000 of damage as he kicked more than a dozen shop and business windows in Wrexham town centre.

His actions - which magistrates said were serious offences - were described previously as a cry for help.

Foulkes, 34, who had been staying at the Ty Nos night shelter, admitted 14 charges of criminal damage at an earlier hearing - while on bail for causing damage to his own flat.

The offences also breached a criminal behaviour order.

Foulkes targeted shops and businesses in Queen Street, Duke Street and Hope Street on March 1 in an incident that the court was told would have caused distress to witnesses and the businesses affected.

Wrexham town centre - pic taken from Hope Street
Wrexham town centre - pic taken from Hope Street

Justin Espie, prosecuting, said Foulkes was already on bail for causing £700 worth of criminal damage to his council owned flat.

At about 5am on St David's Day he kicked windows at The Talbot public house, Gerrard's Bakery, The Queen's Square Salon, Just Cuts, Superdrug, Bon Marche, The Santander Bank, That's Entertainment, Beresford Adams, Vision Express, The Enterprise Hub, Hayes Travel and The Chinese Buffet.

Mr Espie said compensation claims amounted to £9,000 but five others businesses had not submitted claims.

Magistrates said in view of the custodial sentence, which took into account previous convictions, they would not award compensation to the businesses - but awarded £140 to Wrexham County Borough Council for the damage to the flat.

Mr Espie said police received reports of him damaging his own flat and when officers arrived they found three broken windows and Foulkes told them that he had "lost his head."

Wrexham town centre with St Giles Parish Church in the distance
Wrexham town centre with St Giles Parish Church in the distance

Foulkes, formerly of West Circle, Wrexham, wasn't seen on CCTV committing some of the damage in the town centre.

"Officers checked and found that 14 shops and other premises had been damaged," he said.

In one case the damage was valued at £3,000 and others put forward claims of £1,000 and £600.

Laura Preston-Hayes, defending, said her client suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and when he was on his medication he was an amenable and polite young man.

He engaged well but when he did not take his medication "things like this tend to happen."

It was quite a sad situation, she said.

Paul James Foulkes was jailed for 42 weeks

He was medicated at present and he was a polite, intelligent gentleman who had unfortunately found himself living on the streets, the court was told.

Miss Preston-Hayes added: "He has been trying desperately over to years to get assistance and get off the streets."

But she said he had episodes when he was not taking his medication and caused damage to his accommodation and found himself back on the streets again.

"The reason he committed the shop damage offences was that he felt that he had been let down by the authorities and the professionals.

"He is trying to get help and he is not receiving it. He believes everyone is washing his hands of him because he has committed damage.

"There is probably some truth in that," she said.

She added Foulkes had held his hands up, was embarrassed by what he had done and was very remorseful.