Cardiff shoplifter jailed after £2,000 stealing spree

A prolific shoplifter embarked on a stealing spree along a Cardiff road, hitting the same shops repeatedly before raiding a popular restaurant for nearly £1,000 worth of goods.

Tony Jones-Rogers, 42, of no fixed abode, targeted multiple stores on Albany Road over several weeks in August. His spree began on August 10 when he stole £262 worth of perfume and aftershave from Superdrug. The next day he visited Tesco Express on the same road and took bottles valued at £221.

On August 12 he returned to the same Superdrug, climbed over the counter, and stole £114 worth of perfume and aftershave. The following day he struck again, taking £299 worth of products from the same store.

His offending culminated on August 30 when he and another man targeted Juno Lounge in Wellfield Road, stealing £999.04 worth of food and beverage items and causing around £396 worth of damage.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Jones-Rogers became verbally abusive to officers when arrested at Cardiff Bay police station. At the time of the offences he was subject to post custody supervision, having been released from prison just weeks earlier on July 21 after serving six weeks for two previous shoplifting offences.

Jones-Rogers has 76 previous convictions for 214 offences, including 128 theft and kindred offences.

Mr Roberts, defending, told the court his client had been homeless on and off since he was 18 and had a significant drug problem throughout his adult life. He said: “This is somebody who is sadly out of control. Rather than planning, it’s something that is inevitable. He demonstrates an inability to stay out of trouble and stay out of prison.”

Jones-Rogers pleaded guilty to four burglary offences and one shoplifting offence. Judge Richard Kember sentenced him to 32 weeks in prison and ordered him to pay the statutory surcharge.