Ross Edwards (Image: Gwent Police)
Last Updated: 1 minute ago
A shoplifter who stole from a Newport business just two days after being handed a suspended sentence has now been sent to prison.
Ross Edwards, 33, received 30 weeks’ imprisonment at Newport Magistrates’ Court on Monday 5 October, having pleaded guilty to a theft from a commercial address on Cambrian Road in the city.
Gwent Police, which described Edwards as a prolific shoplifter, said it meant he had been sentenced twice in the space of four days.
Spared jail on Thursday
Edwards, who has no fixed address, first appeared before the same court on Thursday 1 October. He was convicted of a number of thefts from businesses in Newport, Tredegar and Ebbw Vale, and was spared jail on that occasion with a suspended sentence.
Back before the court
That sentence was still in place on Saturday 3 October when he stole again, this time from the Cambrian Road premises. He admitted the offence and was jailed when the case came back before magistrates on Monday.
What police said
PC Oliver Grimas, of Gwent Police’s Newport neighbourhood team, welcomed the result.
He said: “Theft is not a victimless crime and can cause significant hardship for businesses and their staff.
“We know that businesses impacted by Edwards’ offending will be pleased by this outcome and I hope this result reassures our communities how seriously we treat theft offences.”
Reporting suspicious activity
📞 Anyone who spots something suspicious can contact Gwent Police on 101, send a message through the force’s Facebook or X accounts, or make a report online. Information can also be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through its website. If a crime is happening now, or in any emergency where police are needed straight away, always dial 999.
