A knife-wielding thief who was caught stealing clothes from baby shop Mamas and Papas swung his bladed weapon at a man who tried to stop him from leaving. The defendant was on bail at the time having previously been found in possession of a knife.
Louis Misfud, 41, brandished his knife towards Philip Barber at the Mamas and Papas store in Cardiff on February 23 after he saw the defendant placing items in his rucksack. Mr Barber's eyes met with those of the thief and Misfud started panicking.
As he went to leave the shop, Mr Barber stopped him, which caused the defendant to repeatedly hit his arms in a chopping motion shouting "Let go". A member of staff told Mr Barber "Let him go, we haven't got security."
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Prosecutor Tim Evans told a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday that Misfud threw his bag to the floor and raised his arms. Mr Barber thought he was going to be punched in the kidneys and stood back while still holding the straps of the defendant's backpack.
Misfud then produced a knife and swung at Mr Barber, which caused him to let go of the bag and the defendant rode off on a bicycle shouting "Pussio". The blade was described as three to four inches long, with a black handle and a pointed edge in a diamond shape.
The defendant was arrested at his home in Maria Street, Butetown, but refused to answer any questions in his police interview. The court heard Misfud was on bail for being in possession of a knife in South Morgan Place, Riverside, on January 17.
He later pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, theft, assault by beating and possession of a knife. In total, he has 115 previous convictions including a burglary and theft at O'Neill's pub in Cardiff in 2017 when he was also in possession of a knife and a theft and possession of a blade at Marks & Spencers in 2020.
In mitigation, Huw Bowden said his client had been through the care system as a youth and had been addicted to drugs. Every time the defendant had been to prison and released, he had fallen into the same peer group and reoffended which the barrister described as a "revolving door" pattern. Mr Bowden said once Misfud has served his sentence he will move to Abergavenny for a fresh start away from his old peer group.
Sentencing, Judge Shomon Khan said: "You understand how serious knife offences are and of the public concern about knife offences. You were charged and bailed by the police and went on to commit an even more serious knife offence... People would have feared for their own safety and it would have caused serious alarm or distress." Misfud was sentenced to a total of two years and eight months imprisonment.
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