Greggs staff lock themselves inside shop as thug pulls hammer on them

Staff at a Greggs in Cardiff locked themselves in the shop after a racist thug pulled a hammer out on them. Sudan Murray, 43, had stolen a sandwich and a drink from the store in Albany Road in the Roath area of the city when staff members challenged him before Murray pulled the large hammer out of his backpack and then assaulted police officers who attempted to detain him.

He threatened staff, racially abusing them and telling them he'd be back for them. Staff were so scared they locked themselves in and called the police, a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Alex Orndal, prosecuting, explained that while Murray was on bail for the offences which occurred in August he beat up a receptionist at a block of flats in Cardiff in October for no apparent reason. Mr Orndal explained the offences in August and October, saying: “The first offences relate to a series of offences on August 26 for which he entered guilty pleas on October 21. In August the defendant attended the Greggs bakery at Albany Road where he picked up a sandwich and a drink before leaving without paying. He was challenged by staff and an altercation occurred which began with the defendant shouting at staff.”

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Mr Orndal explained how Murray then produced a hammer from his backpack and told staff who were of south Asian descent that he would come back for them before calling the staff members “Pa***”. Staff were so scared that Murray would return that they locked themselves in the shop, Mr Orndal explained. One of the staff members at the Greggs store told the court that since that day they no longer have the confidence to challenge shoplifters in case they’re carrying a weapon while another staff member said the incident made her feel unwelcome in the UK because the defendant immediately targeted Asian staff and ignored white staff.

The defendant then left Greggs and walked up Albany Road before he was stopped at Plasnewydd Road by South Wales Police officers PC Bartram and PC Phillips. The two female officers began speaking to the defendant calmly but it was clear he wouldn’t engage with them, the court heard. When they tried to detain him to be searched he made attempts to avoid being handcuffed and he threw punches at the officers. The officers sustained minor injuries including cuts to the fingers and hands during the incident. After eventually managing to search the defendant the officers found the hammer in his backpack.

PC Phillips said she has worked at five stations in her career in Cardiff and has never been assaulted on duty until she was punched multiple times by Murray. “This is the first time I felt a person was actively trying to hurt me and a colleague,” she recalled. She added that on reflection, after realising Murray had a weapon in his possession at the time, she realised he could have caused “significant harm” to her and her colleague.

Murray pleaded guilty to the offences and was released on bail on October 21 but a week later, on October 28, he offended again in a bizarre sequence of events in Cardiff city centre. On that day he entered Wood Street House – an apartment complex in Wood Street – and set upon a receptionist. The court heard Murray approached the receptionist with his fist in the air before striking him to the face. He then reached over the desk and picked up a laptop and threw it, causing the laptop to break. Murray then grabbed the receptionist by the arms and pulled him towards his body before punching him again to the left side of the face.

Murray went outside of the building and grabbed a phone out of the hand of a passer-by and smashed it on the floor for no reason before returning to the apartment complex and punching the receptionist again multiple times to the head and body. The police were called and PC Hopkins and PC Davies detained Murray. While he was being detained Murray spat at both South Wales Police officers causing saliva to land on both of their faces.

Altogether Murray, previously of Albany Road in Cardiff and now homeless, pleaded guilty to theft, four counts of racially-aggravated harassment with fear of violence, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, four counts of assault by beating of an emergency worker, assault by beating, and criminal damage to property under £5,000. Mr Orndal told the court Murray had 14 previous convictions for 25 offences including robbery, battery, aggravated burglary, and drug offences.

Adam Sharp, for Murray, said the offending was clearly high in volume and unpleasant with aggravating features. He said Murray has since “changed drastically in demeanour” and has shown himself willing to cooperate with the probation service. “He understands he cannot continue to behave in this fashion,” Mr Sharp said. He added his client has a “bad record” but within the last decade his offending has been less frequent and “clearly linked to his homelessness state at the time and worsening drug use”. “He is a man who clearly needs some measure of support,” he said.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins said he had been persuaded to allow Murray to serve his sentence in the community because, given the guidelines for the offending and the time Murray had already spent on remand, he would only have been able to pass a very short sentence anyway. “The alternative would be a longer period of supervision with structured intervention and it seems to me on balance that is the better way of dealing with you,” Judge Jenkins said. Murray was given an 18-month community order with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Murray, who dialled in from HMP Cardiff, stuck his thumbs up when he heard his sentence. The judge told the defendant he should count himself “lucky”. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here

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