Serial Thief Jailed After Threatening to Kill Shop Manager

A serial thief with 219 previous offences has been jailed for 16 weeks after a frightening incident in Mold where he threatened to kill a shop manager. 👮‍♂️⚖️

Paul Lewis, 45, of Saxon Street, Wrexham, was already out on licence when he committed multiple offences on Tuesday, including stealing from Holland & Barrett, damaging a door handle and assaulting the shop manager.

During the altercation, Lewis threatened Daniel Charters saying: “I will kill you” and “I will smash your head in.”

The court heard that Lewis also stole clothing worth £214 from another shop in Mold, displayed threatening behaviour and damaged his monitoring tag.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told Llandudno Magistrates Court that Lewis had goaded police officers and threatened to stab them, although no knife was found. Officers aimed a Taser at him after he barricaded himself in a property.

The incident caused such alarm that frightened staff at a nearby salon barricaded themselves inside due to his “irrational” behaviour.

Defence lawyer Sarah Yates said Lewis had been recalled on licence and has a long-standing alcohol issue with little memory of the incident. “He’s utterly ashamed of his behaviour,” she added.

District Judge Rhys Williams described the threats as “aggressive and unpleasant” while sentencing Lewis to 16 weeks imprisonment. The judge also awarded £50 compensation to Mr Charters and imposed a twelve-month restraining order.