Rugby shop worker chased around shop, threatened with scissor blades and attacked after confronting shoplifter

The worker managed to get away and call the police, at which point the offender pushed over food stands inside the store.

Holly Sheridan was arrested outside of the store shortly afterwards, and when taken to custody refused to answer any questions.

Inside her bag, officers found a small hunting knife.

This week, Sheridan, aged 35 of no fixed abode, has been sentenced to 10 months and five days in prison on charges of threatening a person with a blade, common assault, possession of a blade in public, criminal damage, and failure to surrender to custody after being released on bail.

Sheridan is also required to pay a victim’s surcharge of £187.

The incident happened on Tuesday April 9, when police were called to a shop on High Street in Hillmorton.

Holly Sheridan had gone to the shop with another man. The pair had taken items of food and alcohol from the shelves and attempted to leave without paying for them.

A member of staff tried to recover the stolen goods before they left, at which point Sheridan became agitated and confronted the staff member before trying to attack him, chasing him around the shop with a pair of scissors and at one point cornering him while kicking him.

The incident was captured on store CCTV and she was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court on November 5.

PC Barney Tandy of the Investigation Standards and Outcomes team, praised the shop worker for their bravery.

He added: “Sheridan chased a shop worker with a blade and put him in fear of injury or worse.

“It is clear that, at that moment, her valuation of his life and wellbeing was less than her valuation of the food and alcohol she was trying to make off with.

“We hope that the next 10 months will give her some time to re-evaluate that balance in her head. All credit to the shop worker for calling us when he did so we could step in.”