Man jailed for stalking supermarket worker in Newport

A Newport man who repeatedly harassed a supermarket employee has been locked up after showing what magistrates called a “flagrant disregard for court orders”.

Sam Mulligan, 34, received a 34-week prison sentence following multiple breaches of a restraining order designed to protect a female worker at Tesco Express on Cambrian Road in Newport city centre.

The court heard how Mulligan’s troubling behaviour began between October 1 and October 5, 2025, when he “attended her workplace on multiple occasions, made comments to her such as, ‘I’ve come to see you’ and ‘There she is'”. Prosecutors revealed he was also “loitering outside her workplace and peering through the window staring at her”.

Following a trial last November, he was convicted of harassment and handed a three-week sentence along with a two-year restraining order on November 14, 2025. The order banned him from entering the supermarket or contacting the victim.

However, the defendant of no fixed abode wasted little time violating the court’s directions. He admitted breaching the restraining order on three occasions in December alone – on the 9th, 10th, and 12th.

Mulligan’s offending didn’t stop there. Between December 10 and January 8, he also pleaded guilty to stealing £51.60 worth of Red Bull cans from Tesco Express, taking beauty products valued at £92.98 from Boots, and committing burglary with intent to steal at Armstrong & North Opticians. All these crimes occurred in Newport.

On January 9, he failed to provide a sample for a class A drug test at Ystrad Mynach, adding another conviction to his growing list.

Newport Magistrates’ Court heard that all these offences were committed whilst Mulligan was subject to post-custodial sentence supervision. The bench noted he “has a flagrant disregard for court orders” when passing sentence.

Alongside his 34-week jail term, Mulligan was ordered to pay £85 costs following his release from custody, which will occur no later than the halfway point of his sentence. The restraining order remains in force, prohibiting any direct contact with his victim.