A MAN caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to businesses across Wrexham town centre in a “cry for help”.

Paul James Foulkes, 35, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to three charges of causing criminal damage, after damaging windows at a pub and a bookmakers.

He had also been seen on CCTV smashing a window of the Wrexham Tourist Information Centre, which caused his hand to bleed profusely, before a member of the public tried to help him.

Rob Blakemore, prosecuting, told Mold Magistrates Court how Foulkes began his town centre tour of rampage at the William Hill betting shop on Sunday, January 19, where he caused damage to the front windows estimated in the region of £2,000.

He then damaged windows at the Welch Fusilier pub on Chester Street, before he was seen walking up Lambpit Street, where he broke the outer pain of glass in the window of the town’s tourism office.

Mr Blakemore said how blood had been found on a window at the council contact centre on Lord Street, and that CCTV operatives had seen Foulkes smoking a cigarette, and alerted North Wales police as he had blood dripping “profusely” from his hand.

When police came he told him he had “punched a load of windows for attention and so he could get help”.

He told the court how the offences had meant Foulkes was breaching the terms of a criminal behaviour order that had he had been made subject to in July 2018.

Foulkes, a paranoid schizophrenic, appeared from custody at the court with a cut to his forehead, after he had damaged it in his cell.

Alun Williams, defending, said how his client had been co-operating with the probation service, but how they were concerned he wasn’t taking his anti-psychotic medication.

Probation Officer Johnny Belbin told the court that he has “severe concerns” for Foulkes’ mental health.

Magistrates ordered him to serve 20 weeks in custody for breaching the terms of the criminal behaviour order, while he was handed ten weeks for each of the three charges of criminal damage to be served concurrently.