A brazen robber who smirked for his custody photo after being arrested for two knifepoint convenience store raids has been jailed, despite later claiming to feel shame for his actions.
The Robberies
Daniel Thomas, 40, carried out two armed robberies within a week in Aberavon, south Wales. During the second raid, he physically assaulted staff and threatened to stab them. The court heard that Thomas became emboldened after the first robbery, in which he stole several hundred pounds.
On March 18, Thomas entered the CostCutter store in Aberavon at closing time, wearing his hood up and a scarf covering his face. He brandished a knife at the sole employee on duty, signaling him to open the till. The worker complied, and Thomas escaped with approximately £500.
On March 25, Thomas struck again at the Premier Store in the same area. Again with his hood up and face hidden, he confronted a female staff member with a knife, forcing her behind the counter and demanding she open the till. When she explained she could not do so without processing a sale, a male colleague emerged from the stockroom. Thomas then manhandled both employees, grabbing, pushing, and shoving them while threatening to stab them. The male worker opened the till, and Thomas snatched between £500 and £800 before fleeing.
Arrest and Investigation
Thomas was arrested two days after the second robbery. He smirked for his custody photo and gave a no-comment interview. However, police analysis of his mobile phone placed him near both crime scenes at the relevant times. He was also wearing the same trainers seen in CCTV footage from the areas.
Officers conducted an extensive review of CCTV across Aberavon and Port Talbot, piecing together the suspect's movements to and from the shops.
Court Proceedings
At Swansea Crown Court, Thomas pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, two counts of robbery, and two counts of possession of a bladed article. He has 26 previous convictions for 73 offences, including battery, theft, and burglary. His most recent conviction in February 2025 for domestic burglary had resulted in a suspended sentence.
Defence lawyer Caitlin Brazel argued that Thomas turned to drugs as a coping mechanism after his mother's death, and that mounting debts and threats against him and his family drove him to the robberies out of desperation. She stated that Thomas feels a strong sense of shame and remorse and understands he must change or his life will pass him by in a prison cell.
Recorder Simon Hughes noted that Thomas had put his victims through a horrifying ordeal that profoundly affected their lives and work satisfaction. He observed that the second robbery involved additional threats and physical violence, stemming from the defendant's growing confidence after the first successful raid.
Sentence
With one-third reductions for his guilty pleas, Thomas was sentenced to 56 months in prison. The recorder also activated 14 months of the previously suspended burglary sentence to run consecutively, making an overall term of 70 months. Thomas will serve half of this in custody before being released on licence.
Recorder Hughes told Thomas: 'You have wasted a substantial proportion of your life in prison. As a result of this, you will waste more.'
