Midlands crime: woman injured in Poundland attack and serial shoplifter jailed

A woman suffered a serious puncture wound to the head during an assault at a Poundland store on High Street in Newcastle‑under‑Lyme, Staffordshire, on 10 July. Police said the victim received first‑aid from staff and was taken to hospital before being discharged early the next morning. Chief Inspector Cliff Goodwin thanked members of the public and store staff for their quick actions and appealed for witnesses, while police increased neighbourhood patrols in the town centre.

In Birmingham, a 37‑year‑old man, David Walton, was arrested on 13 July after a police investigation into a series of shop‑theft offences in the Fox and Goose area of Ward End. He pleaded guilty to 13 offences at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to 26 weeks in jail. A West Midlands Police spokesperson said the arrest was part of the #SaferTownsSummer initiative aimed at keeping town‑centre shopping areas safe and welcoming.