Ashley Daley, 39, has been jailed for four months after being charged with 12 offences of theft, 1 attempt theft and possession of a bladed article by South Wales Police and then was charged with a further 13 offences relating to the West Midlands area.
The prolific shoplifter who targeted stores nationwide appeared in court on February, 23, 2026, for a multitude of theft offences, that cost businesses across Cardiff, Taffs Well, Merthyr Tydfil, Chepstow and Caldicot over £4000.00 in losses.
Daley went on a spree over 3 weeks across the South Wales and Gwent areas, repeatedly targeting various supermarkets in a planned manner by attending a variety of different locations.
Daley did not take any efforts to hide his identity, boldly walking into stores and filling up bags with meat, easter eggs and alcohol, which amounted to a high loss for the businesses. In one case he attended a store stealing an entire display of Mini Eggs, making no effort to mask his wrongdoing, with all of these incidents being captured on CCTV.
Daley was stopped by police on the February, 21, 2026, in a vehicle shortly after he had committed a theft earlier that day. Upon arrest a kitchen knife was in his possession, which he was also arrested for in addition to the other offences.
Investigating Officer Detective Constable Warriner said:
‘Daley is a prolific offender who was brazen in his actions across the country, showing a clear disregard for the law and believing himself above it. Shoplifting is not a victimless crime, and offenders like Daley have a big financial impact on businesses, and emotional impact on those who work there. Daley would have continued targeting businesses across the UK and I am glad to see that he has now been prevented from doing so’
