Robber hid in attic smoking crack before arrest

A brazen shoplifter who threatened to kill a convenience store worker has been jailed – after police found him hiding in an attic refusing to come down until he’d finished his crack pipe.

Daniel Niewiadomski, 41, stormed into the Nisa shop at the Texaco garage on Llangyfelach Road in Treboeth on October 16, stuffing items from the shelves into his jacket. His accomplice Samantha Turner, 38, held the door open for him.

When staff challenged him, things turned violent. Niewiadomski grabbed a wine bottle and brandished it at the shopkeeper, claiming he had a knife. He knocked the worker to the floor and punched him repeatedly in the face before fleeing with food and drink worth less than £15.

As he left, he issued a chilling threat: “I’ll be back and I’ll kill you and burn you”.

Police launched a manhunt. Turner was arrested the next day in Manselton, found carrying a knife with a retractable blade.

Officers then tracked Niewiadomski to a house on David Williams Terrace in Port Tennant. Swansea Crown Court heard he was discovered hiding in the attic – but bizarrely refused to come down from the loft until he’d finished smoking his crack pipe.

Ian Wright, prosecuting, told the court how the robbery unfolded, with Turner acting as lookout whilst Niewiadomski carried out the violent theft.

The 41-year-old, of Robert Owen Gardens, Port Tennant, pleaded guilty to robbery and two unrelated shoplifting offences. His criminal record includes previous convictions for shoplifting, perverting the course of justice, handling stolen goods, heroin dealing, dangerous driving, and burglaries. Just months earlier in March, he’d been jailed for six months for a spree of eight shoplifting offences.

Turner, of Heol Emrys, Penlan, admitted possession of a knife and shoplifting. She has previous convictions for drug possession and shoplifting.

Craig Jones, defending Niewiadomski, said his client’s offending was driven by his drug habit. Hywel Davies, for Turner, told the court she was engaging with drug rehabilitation agencies and hoped to find work in customer services upon release.

Judge Huw Rees sentenced Niewiadomski to 45 months in prison and Turner to seven months, with discounts applied for their guilty pleas. Both will serve up to half their sentences in custody before being released on licence.