A 19-year-old has been sentenced to 27 months detention after stabbing a shop worker with a screwdriver when he was challenged trying to steal confectionery and soft drinks worth £27.
Blake Williams attended a Tesco Express shop on Caerleon Road in Newport at 10.30pm on June 3 and picked up a basket before browsing the confectionery aisle.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that worker Darshan Deorukhar noticed Williams acting suspiciously and alerted a colleague. When Williams tried to leave without paying, Mr Deorukhar grabbed hold of the basket, causing the contents to fall onto the floor.
Williams then brandished a screwdriver and lunged at staff members, saying: “Don’t try and stop me, watch me.”
He shoved Mr Deorukhar in the chest and pushed the screwdriver into the left side of his chest, before trying to pick up chocolate and sweets off the floor. Williams then brandished a knife towards the two men before leaving the shop.
Mr Deorukhar suffered a bruise to the left side of his chest. In a victim personal statement, he said: “The main effect over the first few days left me feeling nervous and anxious when coming to work. I was nervous in work and thought ‘What if he comes back to the shop again?’ or ‘What if he sees me when I’m out and about?’. ‘What if one of his friends sees me and wants to rob me?’. I was a little bit frightened in the moment and got a bruise which is still not healing.”
Williams, of Clarence Place, Newport, was found with the stolen items when arrested. He pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article. He has four previous convictions for offences including robbery, aggravated vehicle taking and theft.
Defence barrister Sol Hartley said Williams had spent his first time in custody while on remand and was “lacking maturity”. The court heard he was raised in a “chaotic environment” and was the victim of physical violence at the hands of his father. He was also diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.
Judge Paul Hobson sentenced Williams to 27 months detention in a young offenders institute, telling him the sentence was too serious to be dealt with by anything other than custody.
