Pontypool Woman Jailed for Role in £2,000 Shop Theft

A Pontypool woman has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after participating in a theft that saw £2,000 stolen from a Newport shop last December. 💰

Lois Fitzgerald, 31, of Afon Llwyd Terrace in Pontypool, was captured on CCTV footage on December 9 entering Ideal Stores on Caerleon Road in St Julians, Newport, with a co-defendant who was armed with a “masonry hammer.”

The court was shown footage of the incident by Prosecutor John Ryan, which revealed both perpetrators entering the shop around 9.40pm wearing masks to conceal their identities.

Fitzgerald acted as “look-out” while her male accomplice shouted “money bro we need money” at the shopkeeper before ripping the till from behind the counter and threatening him with a large hammer.

The shopkeeper retreated as the pair fled with approximately £2,000, the till, and the key to the outside ATM in Fitzgerald’s Vauxhall Corsa, which had been fitted with false number plates.

Following a public appeal featuring the CCTV footage, Gwent Police received an anonymous tip-off on January 7 identifying the culprits as Lois Fitzgerald and Thomas Hunt. Fitzgerald was arrested the following day, with police seizing two mobile phones containing incriminating evidence.

Defence barrister Byron Broadstock told the court: “The defendant knows she is entirely in the wrong but he (Thomas Hunt) was the principle mover. Though she understands by her presence she is adding to the intimidatory atmosphere. She now finds herself in custody for the first time in her life, and says she is constantly fearful.”

The court heard that Fitzgerald claimed to be unaware of the plan to steal from the corner shop, believing instead that they were going to be “ripping off a drug dealer.”

It was confirmed that her co-defendant, Thomas Hunt, is yet to face any repercussions.

Recorder Paul Lewis noted that Fitzgerald’s criminal record includes seven previous convictions for 11 offences dating back to her juvenile years, including battery, aggravated vehicle taking and criminal damage.

“I accept your role was a lesser one but it is aggravated by the use of false plates, as they prove there was significant planning, as well as the attempt to conceal your identity,” said Recorder Lewis during sentencing. “In my judgement, the mitigation and aggravating factors cancel each other out.”

With full credit for her early guilty plea, Fitzgerald received a 32-month prison sentence and will serve half before being released on licence. ⚖️