A former soldier whose life spiralled after being medically discharged robbed a shop for £30 of chocolate. Craig Ward had served his country but was forced to leave the Army after his leg was injured in an explosion in Iraq.
That sparked a decline in his mental health, a cocaine habit and homelessness, which saw him go on a crime spree, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Robbery at Premier store
On September 7 2024, Ward went to the Premier store, in Forest Hall, North Tyneside, where a woman was working alone around 6.30am. His face was partially covered with a mask but she recognised him and told him he was barred and said she would call police.
He replied that he had a mask on so how would they know it was him then warned: "Don't come around here I've got a knife." Believing the threat, the woman was too afraid to challenge him as he stole £30 of chocolates.
In a victim impact statement, the woman said that while she is coping, when she is in the shop alone she is fearful of the same thing happening again.
Further thefts and sentence
On August 9 2024, Ward had gone into the Co-op, in Monkseaton, with someone else and stole items worth £75, some of which were recovered. They then both went to Sainsbury's, in Whitley Bay and stole £40 of meat. He also carried out two further shop thefts at Sainsbury's, in Forest Hall and The Range, where he was with a woman pushing a pram containing stolen items.
Ward, 46, of Forest Hall, who has nine previous convictions, pleaded guilty to robbery and four shop thefts. Since this spate of offending, he has been given a community order for offences of assault, criminal damage, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving. Now he has been sentenced to 16 months suspended for 18 months with probation requirements.
The court heard he has PTSD from his previous "distinguished" service in the army, during which he suffered a leg injury in an explosion in Iraq. He was said to have identified his Christian faith as a protective measure.
Jordan Parkinson, defending, said: "He held a respected position in the British army but sustained a leg injury and was discharged. That led to a decline in his mental health and he became addicted to drugs and homeless. He is no longer using any drugs and he is no longer on the streets."
