Andrew Davies, a 43-year-old man with a notorious criminal history described as “the worst record you will have seen” by his lawyer, has once again found himself behind bars.

Davies, possibly holding the title for the longest criminal record in Wales, has amassed an astonishing 517 previous convictions, primarily stemming from a life marked by crime and addiction.

This serial thief, who fell into heroin addiction as a child, has spent the majority of his life navigating the criminal justice system.

His latest offenses involved attempted thefts from The Dock in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, and occurred just a month after he narrowly escaped imprisonment for prior theft-related incidents.

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According to prosecutor Nicholas Evans, on October 25 at around 6:30 pm, a “strange-looking” individual, later identified as Davies, was observed descending a staircase at The Dock with concealed bottles under his jacket.

A vigilant member of the public alerted a restaurant employee, leading to the discovery that Davies had pilfered three bottles of vodka, each valued at £30, from behind the bar, as revealed by CCTV footage.

Undeterred by the initial failed attempt, Davies returned to the scene of the crime three days later, preceded by shoplifting incidents where he stole clothing items.

On October 25, he visited JD Sports on Queen Street, making off with five Under Armour jackets totaling £225. The following day, he revisited the store, making off with four Fred Perry t-shirts worth a combined £300.

Davies’ audacity also extended to sneaking into The Dock’s staff room on October 28, where he fled when confronted by a worker.

Minutes later, he made another attempt to enter the staff room but was thwarted.

Subsequently, Davies proceeded to Cardiff Bay Retail Park’s Sports Direct, where he made off with three Liverpool FC jackets amounting to £195.

In court, Davies, hailing from Butetown, pleaded guilty to burglary, attempted burglary, and three counts of theft, further adding to his extensive criminal record that includes a staggering 355 offenses related to dishonesty.

His solicitor, Oliver Jenkins, acknowledged the severity of his client’s record, stating, “I am the first to recognize he has an atrocious record.

He perhaps has the worst record you will have seen. He recognizes that is an appalling record and cannot be excused.

His life has been blighted by addiction and unfortunately he has been a heroin addict from childhood.”

Jenkins also pointed out the recent loss of Davies’ sister, Nicola, who battled lung cancer.

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He argued that the grief over his sister’s death had triggered a relapse, leading to the string of offenses over a three-day period, as she was his sole remaining family member.

The court hearing was temporarily adjourned for an update from a substance misuse specialist, who reportedly did not provide a positive assessment of Davies’ engagement with services.

Subsequently, Presiding Justice Clare Byrne sentenced the defendant to 10 months in custody and ordered him to pay a £154 victim services surcharge upon his release.