A thief who assaulted a woman and then dodged court has been jailed after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Matthew King, of Brightwell Road, Watford, was sentenced to 16 weeks prison and fined £100 at St Albans Magistrates' Court.
The court heard he stole from a shop, assaulted a woman, and failed to surrender to court bail.
On June 14 this year, the 51-year-old admitted theft but denied the assault charge.
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He was due in court for trial on October 4 but failed to appear and was found guilty of assault by beating in his absence and the warrant was issued. On October 25 he admitted to failing to surrender to court bail at the appointed time and was jailed.
The court heard that on June 6, 2021, the same day he assaulted a woman in Watford, he stole sweatshirts from UNIQLO Watford worth £69.80.
He had previously stolen a bottle of Diesel fragrance worth £74 from Next and four jackets worth £276 from Marks and Spencer, for which he was ordered to pay £569 in 2021.
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