A 54-year-old man from Barry has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison after threatening Sainsbury’s staff with a knife during a shoplifting incident that involved racial abuse.
Gerard Clogg was arrested on Claude Road after police responded to reports of staff being racially abused and threatened at the Sainsbury’s store in Parc Crescent on Sunday, January 19, at around 9pm.
Officers found Clogg in possession of a sock filled with broken glass, whilst a bag containing meat, cheese, and wine worth approximately £27 was discovered near his arrest location.
The defendant was found guilty of robbery and possession of a knife at Newport Crown Court on Friday, August 29. He also admitted to a racially aggravated public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon.
Sergeant Matthew Fairweather said: “Shoplifting can have a devastating impact on shopworkers, and nobody should be subjected to racial hatred or violence while going about their work. A quick response from the team and the bravery and co-operation of the victim, and his colleagues, has ensured a dangerous offender has been put in prison for a significant period.”
