Cardiff Thief Jailed for Threatening JD Sports Staff

A shoplifter who stole £720 worth of Under Armour clothing from JD Sports in Cardiff has been jailed for 12 months after threatening staff who tried to stop him. 🛍️⚖️

Nicholas Bishop, 40, from Horle Close, Grangetown, attended the Cardiff branch on May 13 at 3.10pm and took a large amount of clothing before leaving without paying.

When staff and members of the public pursued him, Bishop became threatening and told them: “I have got a knife, I am going to stab you. Do you want to be stabbed?”

Prosecutor Kathryn Lane told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that the defendant turned to one person and said: “I am going to fill you with holes.”

Bishop then placed his hands into his trousers and took out an object which those present initially thought was a knife, before walking away. He was arrested three days later on May 16 and found in possession of Valium.

The defendant pleaded guilty to affray, theft and possession of class C drugs on the basis he did not produce a knife and was not in possession of such a weapon.

In mitigation, David Pinnell said his client had long-standing issues with drugs, describing them as lying at the “heart” of his offending, but said Bishop wanted to address those issues.

Sentencing, Judge Vanessa Francis said: “You are a grown man, you have been given opportunity time and time and time again.” She added that the defendant should “never” treat shop staff in this way as they were “just doing their jobs.”