ATTEMPTING to withdraw £200 from a Milford Haven cash machine resulted in a £1,113 bill after a card was swallowed.

Mantas Liublinskas, of Bently Way, Norwich, pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage when he appeared from custody at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday, January 29.

He also admitted failing to surrender to the court when his hearing was listed the previous week.

Sophie Hill, prosecuting, said Barclays Bank staff checked CCTV footage after noticing the ATM’s screen had been damaged.

Liublinskas, 23, was seen with another man at the machine at 1am on February 17.

Miss Hill said: “They seemed to be drunk because they were unsteady on their feet. The defendant lifted up his arm and smashed the ATM.”

Liublinskas said his card became stuck while he was trying to withdraw £200, and he punched the screen in frustration.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said: “He was left in the darkness at some ungodly hour without his £200 and without his card.

"Unfortunately his temper got the better of him.”

Mr Kelleher added that Liublinskas had been unable to afford £200 to buy a train ticket for the journey to attend court for his last hearing.

Magistrates fined Liublinskas £300 and ordered him to pay £698.33 compensation, plus £85 court costs and a £30 surcharge.

They imposed a 12-month conditional discharge for the bail offence.