Shanice Roderick (Image: South Wales Police)
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A 21-year-old woman who targeted a Cardiff home twice in a single day and racked up £2,500 in stolen goods to feed her drug habit has been sentenced to more than a year behind bars.
Shanice Roderick, of Grand Avenue, Ely, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court for sentencing after admitting two counts of burglary, theft from a shop and fraud by false representation.
Sentencing
Judge Paul Hobson handed Roderick a total of 14 months in prison. He told the court he had little confidence the defendant would comply with a court order attached to a suspended sentence, pointing to her history of refusing to follow such orders.
The burglaries
On November 11, Roderick broke into a property on Fitzhamon Embankment in Riverside at 12.35pm. She came back to the same address just hours later at 4.15pm, this time accompanied by an unknown man.
When the occupant returned home, they discovered a haul of belongings had been taken – including keys, a MacBook, a PlayStation 4, a watch, a pocket knife, clothing, food and wine. Prosecutor Charles Archer told the court the stolen property was worth a combined £2,500.
Roderick was linked to the break-ins after her DNA was recovered from a drinks carton and a headband left inside the property. She was also captured on CCTV.
John Lewis incident
The offending had begun days earlier on October 31, when Roderick was spotted by security staff at John Lewis in Cardiff attempting to walk out with a handbag and boxer shorts with a combined value of £233. Staff detained her and took her to a holding room, but she was released before police arrived.
Fraudulent spending
On November 15, Roderick got hold of bank cards belonging to a woman whose car had been broken into at the NCP car park on Westgate Street in Cardiff. She used the cards to spend £273 across several locations – a bakery, a convenience store, a nail salon, a charity shop and a petrol station.
She was later identified through CCTV footage from the petrol station, where she had been buying cigarettes.
Defence arguments
During interview, Roderick admitted she had carried out the offences to fund addictions to cocaine and heroin.
The court heard she had five previous convictions, including three for theft.
Defence barrister Erin Morgan described her client as a “young and vulnerable” woman battling class A drug addiction. She said Roderick had been “sofa surfing” with virtually no stability in her life, but had remained free from drugs during her time on remand.
