A man has been jailed after he stole from a shop and assaulted a member of staff before he jumped into a river to avoid being caught.
Ryan Rankmore, 42, of Llanrumney has been sentenced to 12 weeks in prison after he pleaded guilty to theft from a shop and three counts of assault by beating.
On February 8 2026, Rankmore entered the Welcome Break Services at Cardiff Gate and began filling a bag with items including ready meals, alcohol and Lego.
Rankmore was challenged by two staff members who told him to go and pay for the items, in return he was verbally abusive and aggressive.
After leaving the shop one staff member was hit in the face by Rankmore with a can of Red Bull. Officers were called to the shop and conducted a search of the area. Rankmore was sighted by the local Neighbourhood Policing team nearby, but ran away when officers attempted to stop him.
Rankmore then jumped into the water to evade arrest, before making threats to go further into the river.
Resources from South Wales Police, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Welsh Ambulance and NPAS were in attendance and were able to bring Rankmore from the river back up onto the banking where he was then arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop and assault by beating.
After his arrest, it was revealed Rankmore was on bail awaiting trial on conditional bail after being charged with two counts of assault by beating, following an incident in June 2025. He changed his plea to guilty on February 10.
PC Jones said:
“Rankmore’s actions on February 8 were inexcusable. No one should be subjected to violence for intimidation when they are just doing their jobs. His attempts to avoid arrest not only wasted emergency resources but were also pointless, as we were determined to hold him accountable for his actions.
“Rankmore’s additional assault charges highlight the aggression he poses, and I’m pleased to see him held accountable for all of his actions.”
