Shoplifter Gets Sentence Cut by Week After Steak Theft Appeal

A “professional” shoplifter who stole 13 steaks worth £70 has successfully appealed his sentence at Swansea Crown Court, getting it reduced from 18 weeks to 17 weeks in prison.

Christopher Ready, of Griffith John Street, Dyfatty, Swansea, walked into Farm Foods at Parc Tawe retail park on 12th June and placed the steaks in his bag before leaving without paying. When arrested on 23rd June, he told police he “had no funds and needed to eat.”

The court heard Ready has an extraordinary criminal record with 50 previous convictions for 121 offences, including 70 shoplifting offences spanning three decades from 1995 to 2025.

This year alone, Ready has been convicted of shoplifting three other times:

• January: 12 weeks for stealing protein powder from Holland & Barrett
• February: 16 weeks for a repeat offence
• April: 18 weeks for seven thefts including protein powder, washing detergent, ham, bacon, and Puma trainers

Barrister Ryan Bowen argued magistrates had either set too high a starting point or failed to give full credit for Ready’s guilty plea.

Judge Catherine Richards described Ready as a “professional thief” who steals “for a living” but agreed to reduce the sentence by one week, saying: “The correct sentence was one of 17 weeks.”