Champagne thieves jailed after targeting local store

Two prolific thieves who repeatedly targeted a convenience store to steal champagne worth hundreds of pounds have been jailed.

Rees Vincent Pennington, 33, and Carl Joseph Ashmore, 36, both of no fixed address, were sentenced at Caernarfon Magistrates’ Court after admitting a string of thefts from a Co-op store in Tywyn.

The court heard that the pair stole alcohol on six separate occasions over a three-day period between January 7 and January 9. During that time, they took a total of 18 bottles of champagne from the store on Station Road, with the value of the stolen goods exceeding £850.

Ashmore was also charged with three further thefts of alcohol from the same premises on January 20, highlighting what prosecutors described as a persistent pattern of offending.

Both men pleaded guilty to all charges brought against them. Magistrates sentenced Pennington and Ashmore to 18 weeks in prison each, citing the repeated nature of the offences and the impact on local retail staff.

North Wales Police said the sentencing sent a clear message that retail crime would be taken seriously, particularly where offenders repeatedly target the same business.

PC Gareth Edwards said the force was committed to protecting shop workers and tackling theft that affects both businesses and communities.

“We continue to deal robustly with offenders such as Pennington and Ashmore to protect those working in the retail sector and reduce retail crime,” he said.

“We hope that the custodial terms imposed will reassure local businesses and their customers that we take this type of offending seriously and will do everything we can to protect them from crime.”