A Swansea woman who threatened supermarket staff with a knife during an attempted theft has been handed a custodial sentence. Jade Davies, aged 39, produced a knife after being confronted by employees of Marks & Spencer in Fforestfach when she tried to leave the store with bottles of whisky, Swansea Crown Court has heard.
The incident occurred on 7 June at around 5pm, when Davies was observed by staff entering the shop and heading directly to the alcohol section. Staff in the store quickly recognised her from previous incidents, prompting them to keep a watchful eye on her. According to the prosecution, Davies proceeded to place several bottles of Penderyn whisky in her bag and made her way towards the exit without paying.
As the store manager intervened, requesting the return of the goods, Davies refused. In an attempt to document the incident, the manager began filming on his mobile phone. Davies then threatened to smash the device and a physical altercation ensued as the manager tried to recover the stolen goods. During the struggle, Davies pulled a knife from her pocket and displayed it, warning the employees not to touch her bag or she would stab them.
The situation escalated as another member of staff heard Davies shout, “If you grab my bag I’ll stab you.” In fear for their safety, staff ceased their attempts to detain her, allowing Davies to leave the store with the stolen items. Police were called and responded quickly, but by the time they arrived, Davies was nowhere to be found.
Investigators reviewed the store’s CCTV footage, which enabled them to identify Davies as the suspect, leading to a series of inquiries to locate her. She was ultimately arrested four days later and answered “no comment” to all questions during police interviews.
Further evidence presented in court revealed that the incident at Marks & Spencer was not isolated. Davies had already pleaded guilty to 12 additional shoplifting offences targeting local Tesco branches in May and June, with goods worth over £800 stolen. In total, her criminal record includes 12 previous convictions for 48 offences, with 35 relating directly to theft or similar matters since 2023.
During sentencing, Judge Huw Rees acknowledged that while staff handled the incident “commendably,” the prevalence of such crimes had left law-abiding citizens frustrated. He told Davies, “People in this community, in this country, are fed up of people like you stealing from shops while law-abiding citizens pay for goods or do without.” The judge also remarked on the worrying culture of carrying knives, saying it was a trend that needed to be discouraged.
Davies, of Heol Frank, Penlan, Swansea, admitted charges of theft and possession of a knife, although she was acquitted of robbery after the prosecution offered no evidence on that more serious allegation. The court was told that the knife was brandished not necessarily with the intention to wound, but to intimidate staff into backing off rather than to be used as a weapon.
Her defence barrister, Andrew Evans, explained that Davies accepted her crimes had contributed to her losing custody of her children and acknowledged long-standing personal “demons.” Upon release, Davies hopes to relocate and engage with any available support services.
Judge Rees imposed a six-month prison sentence, to run concurrently with her existing 16-week sentence for the Tesco shoplifting spree. Davies is expected to serve half her sentence in custody before being released on licence, as per standard procedure.
The judge further criticised the fragmented approach to Davies’ prosecutions, suggesting that all matters should have been dealt with together at Crown Court from the outset, to avoid the “piecemeal” handling that had occurred.
Davies’ case has highlighted ongoing concerns regarding retail theft and knife crime, raising further questions about community safety, sentencing guidelines and the pressures faced by frontline shop workers.