Newport Woman Jailed After Hospital Attack and Theft Spree

A 37-year-old Newport woman has been jailed for over a year after breaching her suspended prison sentence by committing multiple thefts. 🔒

Christine Kenny, who previously received a suspended sentence for assaulting a doctor at the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran last July, was caught shoplifting from Tesco just weeks after walking free from Newport Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that Kenny stole various items including bottles of wine, Jack Daniel’s whiskey mixers, Martini cans, and sweets with a total value of £43.85 across five separate incidents in late March.

Kenny was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment for each of the five theft offences, to be served consecutively, resulting in a 40-week sentence. Additionally, magistrates activated her previously suspended sentences of 12 weeks for the hospital doctor assault and four weeks for assaulting PCSO Rhys Bates on Upper Dock Street last October.

This brings her total prison term to 56 weeks. She has also been ordered to pay £43.85 compensation to Tesco upon her release.

The court was reminded that Kenny has a history of offending and was previously banned from Newport city centre in 2021 under a three-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) due to anti-social behaviour. The CBO prohibited her from entering specific areas of Newport and certain shops without permission, and restricted her use of emergency services to genuine emergencies only.