A PROLIFIC offender with dozens of aliases could be facing jail for his latest crime in the city.

Ilyas Sanchez, 46, of Bell Court, Exe Street, St Davids, admitted stealing meat worth £46.99 from Tesco Express in the city centre when he appeared before Exeter Crown Court yesterday.

Sanchez also admitted this breached two conditional discharges he had been given for burglary and theft.

The court heard he has around 40 aliases and 103 previous convictions, including 65 for theft.

Judge Graham Cottle refused an application to continue Sanchez's bail and remanded him in custody to be sentenced on a date to be set.

The judge said: "He's been known by 44 different aliases over the years. The list goes to a second page, then we come to his record which starts in 1976 when he was 13."

Sanchez's criminal record includes living on the immoral earnings of a female prostitute, robbery, burglary and drug dealing.

Prosecutor David Bowen said the latest theft happened on March 15.

He had already been serving conditional discharges, one of which was for burglary from the Phoenix arts centre in Gandy Street, where he stole a pair of trainers from an office.

The other conditional discharge was for two thefts, of a computer game steering wheel from the This Is It shop in the High Street and a juicing machine from the Cook Shop in the Harlequin centre in Queen Street.

Mr Bowen said these offences would not usually result in prison.

Judge Cottle said: "What do the legal guidelines say if it is with a career criminal though?"

The prosecutor replied: "The custody threshold may be crossed."

Defence counsel Nicholas Bradley said: "Since his release from his last prison sentence, he has been endeavouring to lead a constructive life by getting work.

"Unfortunately, his past keeps catching up with him. Employers hear about his past and the jobs in which he is industrious keep being taken away from him."

Mr Bradley said Sanchez was a registered carer for his girlfriend and had been battling his heroin habit, but resorted to shoplifting from Tesco Express in desperation when he had a problem getting his methadone prescription.

He asked for Sanchez to be bailed to make arrangements for his girlfriend, if he was sent to prison, but the judge refused.

Some of Sanchez's alternative names include Elias Johnson, Anthony Jordan, Illyas Lewis, Ricky Vann Lewis, Vann Lewis, Anthony Marino, Elias Reshedd Mohamid, Elias Rasheed Mohammed, Elyas Rahim Mohammed, Ilyas Qassim Mohammed, Ilyas Rasheed Mohammed, Ilyas Mohammed, Rahim Mohammed, Ilyas Qassim Mohomed, Qassim Mohomed, Anthony Montana, Elyas Muhanned-Hawi, Ilyas Rashed Qawi, Ilyas Rasheed Qawi, Ilyas Rasheed Qwai, Mohammed Rashid, Sanchez Elyas Ricardo, Ilyas Quasim Said, Quasim Said, Alyas Saladin, Ilyas Saladin, Ilyas Salah-Al-Din, Ilyas Salahaldin, Ilyas Salahanldin, Mohammed Salaudine, Illios Sanchez, Ilyas Ricardo Luis Sanchez, Ilyas Ricardo Sanchez, Ilyas Sanchez, Ricky Sanchez, Peter Small, Paul Michael Thomas, Ricky Van Lewis, Eli Williams, Elias Williams, Ilyas Williams and Michael Williams.