Wiltshire 999s
  • Wiltshire news
    • Incidents
    • Courts
  • West Country news
  • News near you
    • Swindon
    • Chippenham
    • Trowbridge
    • Salisbury
    • Find your area >
  • Support
    • Mental health helplines
    • Domestic abuse helplines
  • More
    • Community
No Result
View All Result
Wiltshire 999s
No Result
View All Result
Home Wiltshire news Wiltshire courts

Man whacked Swindon supermarket worker with stolen champagne

byDaniel Jae Webb
11 May 2023 | 8.37am
Man cries as he’s remanded in custody accused of assaulting and controlling girlfriend
Share on FacebookPost on XSend via WhatsApp

A man whacked a supermarket worker with a bottle of stolen champagne, a court heard.

33-year-old Ricardo Herne was confronted by an Aldi supervisor after he was observed leaving the shop without making payment on 1 October last year.

Prosecutor Pauline Lambert told Swindon Magistrates’ Court that Simon Porter approached the defendant in the car park, shouting: “Excuse me”.

Herne replied: “Shut up, you aren’t taking this”. He proceeded to hit Mr Porter with the stolen bottle of champagne, striking him on the head.

The defendant then walked off, leaving Mr Porter injured – with blood running down his face.

As a result, Herne breached his prison licence conditions. He was returned to custody and served 20 weeks shortly after the violent assault.

Gordon Hotson, defending said that his client had been in and out of hospitals and two prisons – which resulted in a “massive mental health crash”.

He said that Herne was not getting the treatment he needed and was “in a very bad way mentally at the time”. Thought since his recent release from custody, he is now engaging with mental health teams.

District Judge Joanna Dickens said: It’s incredibly serious to hit somebody on the head at all, but hitting them on the head with any kind of blunt object it could kill them.

“The people who work in shops, who deal with shoplifting, are at the frontline of dealing with the public. They’re paid little, they’re not police officers but they’re protecting the shop from thefts.”

She imposed a 12-month community order with the requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days. No compensation was awarded due to Herne having no means to pay.

Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and get breaking news sent directly to your mobile – don’t forget to turn on notifications by clicking the bell icon.

Click a topic to read more stories like this:

Tags: Crashes and pursuitsSwindonSwindon Magistrates Court

TOP STORIES

  • All
  • Wiltshire news
  • Wiltshire courts
Murder arrest after man dies on doorstep of house in Swindon
Wiltshire news

Manchester Road remains closed as murder enquiry continues

byDaniel Jae Webb
3 July 2025 | 8.33am
0

...

Read moreDetails
Swindon park closed by police after body discovered near lake

Swindon park closed by police after body discovered near lake

8 July 2025 | 2.36pm
Emergency services carry out training at Swindon Designer Outlet

Emergency services carry out training at Swindon Designer Outlet

6 July 2025 | 9.08pm
Emergency services race to ‘serious incident’ in Tidworth

Emergency services race to ‘serious incident’ in Tidworth

9 July 2025 | 11.16pm
25 people arrested in drugs crackdown by police in Wiltshire

25 people arrested in drugs crackdown by police in Wiltshire

4 July 2025 | 4.22pm
  • About us
  • Complaints
  • Contact us
  • Contributor terms
  • Privacy policy
Reporting reality.

All content © State Six News Limited, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved. | Wiltshire 999s is a trading style of State Six News Limited. Company number: 16190242. | Registered company address: Suite A, 82 James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk, IP28 7DE.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • 999 News
  • Court News
  • West Country news
  • News near you
    • Swindon
    • Chippenham
    • Trowbridge
    • Find your area
  • Info & Help
    • Wiltshire Flood Warnings
    • Domestic abuse helplines
    • Mental health helplines
    • Court reporting
  • About & Contact
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • WhatsApp alerts
    • Contributor terms
    • Complaints
A TIP-OFF