A Ryde man who assaulted several shop workers during a series of thefts across the Isle of Wight has been sentenced to a 2-year community order.
Aaron Wood, 34, previously pleaded guilty to 8 charges, including 1 charge of burglary, 3 charges of theft, 3 charges of assault by beating and 1 charge of attempted theft.
The court heard how Wood, whose last known address was High Street, Ryde, began his string of thefts by committing a non-domestic burglary at Summer Arcade in Shanklin, stealing £106 worth of goods as well as damaging and destroying £406 of windows and doors in September 2025.
In December 2025, Wood stole wine, smoked salmon and sandwich bags worth £19.50 from Sainsbury’s Local in Cowes. Also in December, he stole wine, sandwich bags and a salad bowl to the amount of £21.60 from Co-op Ryde.
On 23rd December 2025, Woods attended Pan Stores, where he is now banned from. He had obtained a bottle of wine, which he used to strike the shopkeeper in the groin. Less than an hour and a half later, Woods returned to the store and assaulted the store worker once again, this time punching him as the shopkeeper tried to push him out of the establishment.
Other offences included the attempted theft of cigarettes from a Co-op, where Woods told the shop assistant, “Give them to me or I will jump over the counter and get them myself”.
When Woods’ threatening behaviour failed, he punched the perspex screen out of the tobacco kiosk and proceeded to try and pull the door open – only to be stopped once again by the kiosk attendant. The back-and-forth brawl with the plastic door resulted in Woods receiving an injury to his hand, which he used to smear his blood across the kiosk door. Wounded and with no cigarettes, Woods left the shop empty-handed.
The court heard of his 7th charge in which he was caught shoplifting from Iceland, but again, a brave shop assistant attempted to stop the theft with a trolley full of baskets. Woods was heard by the court to have assaulted the employee by pushing him along with the trolley of baskets out of the way to gain access to the exit of the store.
The prosecutor on the case told His Honour Judge Melville KC that these were very intimidating offences against shop workers, with one of the victims telling Police at the time of the offence:
“This incident has made me feel very anxious over the threats he has made to me. I feel anxious about my injuries as I will have to go to the hospital and I can not afford not to go to work.”
The Court went on to hear from Woods’s solicitor, who said that all of these incidents of a lawbreaking nature have occurred when her client has been intoxicated. He said that for the last 5 months, when Woods has been in custody, he has been clean from substances and alcohol and has been actively engaging in support that has been made available to him.
His solicitor said that his substance and alcohol misuse was merely a method to ‘minimise [the] voices that Woods can hear in his head’.
After much deliberation, His Honour Judge Melville KC sentenced Aaron Woods to a 2-year community order and ordered him to complete 35 rehabilitation days and a 9-month-long alcohol treatment requirement.
Such crimes should = prison, what if he struck a
so called person of importance,
I wonder if the sentence would be the same!
or do shopkeepers not count.
Shocking!
The island is like the wild west these days.
Where did it all go wrong.
Over the years many persons have retired to the island
for a peaceful life, lately there is more crime on the
Island than on the mainland.
Especially considering the low volume of residents on the
island.
Unbelievable! What on earth do you have to do today to get put away? A disgusting conclusion. Shopkeepers and the pubic are expected to tolerate these attacks and thefts. The law courts cannot be taken seriously anymore.
This man should be in prison.
Working in shops is becoming increasingly dangerous and they are not well paid either, so not a very attractive job any more, and we need them.
If as all the defence lawyers spout that their clients dependence on alcohol or drugs is a defence, then maybe the number of alcohol licences on the Island should be severely reduced in numbers, and those outlets who do not act responsibly and abide by the law should lose their licences immediately for the first breach.
On the subject of drugs, the Government need to introduce a zero blood level for all illegal drugs for drivers, as a deterrent to even casual users. The criminals who peddle drugs would then only gain profit from addicted users m, who then should be given support to best their addiction. Dealers at all levels should be imprisoned.
The public need to play their part by passing on information about dealers and drug houses to Police or Crimestoppers. Drug dealing is a scourge and is ruining our country.
I agree absolutely.
If only he’d used a few hurty words on antisocial media; he’d probably have got two and a half years.
Well that was a waste of time wasn’t it, his defence lawyer said he had been clean of alcohol for a few months and was engaging in support, he was in prison what do you think he was going to do, put him away he’s a danger to the public.