A judge has lamented the "tragedy" of a mum who achieved strong grades at school only to fall into a long spiral of drugs and crime. In her latest offences Nicola Williams stole more than £1,200 worth of Boots products in Cardiff and cut a security guard with a knife.
The 37-year-old was accompanied by a man at 4pm on May 8 when the pair entered the Boots store in Queen Street, prosecutor Tom Roberts told Cardiff Crown Court. She was seen on CCTV using a magnetic de-tagger to remove security tags from items including scented candles and razors.
"She was followed out of the shop by security officers and apprehended," he added. "Once it became apparent she was being stopped she said: 'Get off me, I have HIV.' She had a Stanley knife in her left hand and said: 'I don't want to have to use this.'"
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One of the security staff shouted: "She's got a knife." This prompted a security guard from nearby bar Live Lounge to intervene and try to disarm Williams as she yelled: "Get off or I'll stab you." In the ensuing struggle the knife cut a finger of one of the guards causing a minor injury.
Williams, of Newport Road in Roath, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday via a videolink from prison. She admitted stealing £1,281.40 worth of stock as well as assault, possession of a knife, and being equipped with the de-tagger. The mum has 76 offences on her record including four of violence. Her first shoplifting offence came in 2006 and she has since committed a further 42.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: "It's a tragedy that this lady is before the court and continues to come before the courts. What a fantastic prospect she was several years ago before she became addicted to Class A drugs."
Derrick Gooden, mitigating, replied that his client achieved 12 GCSEs at school and went on to full-time employment. "She had children and managed to cope quite well," he said. "By her own admission she fell into the wrong crowd and misusing drugs. I've dealt with Ms Williams for a significant number of years and until quite recently she was behaving herself."
Mr Gooden said Williams was using crack cocaine at the time of her latest offences. He added that she enjoys a "limited relationship" with her children which she hopes will improve with time. She has been in custody since early May but has stayed in contact with her children during that time.
"She has been accepted onto an Open University degree in social sciences starting this September," said Mr Gooden. "She has let herself down in the past after making arrangements to attend college. She is more motivated now than ever to make even better strides in remaining drug-free. I have represented her for a number of years and can honestly say I have never seen her so committed in what she intends to do."
Imposing a 16-month jail term Judge Jenkins said Williams could have caused a more serious injury to the security guard. He added: "The Stanley knife is a most pernicious weapon. Since you were 19 years of age you have had this awful addiction to Class A drugs... You have been on community orders on many occasions and your response has been poor. I have no doubt you may seem motivated to pursue such an order but the reality is that once you are back in the community you will be subject to the same temptations that have brought you before the courts previously." You can read more news from Welsh courts here.
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