A Zimbabwean-born Zywai Nyahoda was jailed for four-and-a-half months following a theft incident in an Oxford Tesco, UK.

Nyahoda had gone into the store to steal goods and was stopped by staff members. When they planned to call the police, Nyahoda threatened them with a needle, resulting in his conviction for threatening behaviour. Recorder Alexander McGregor gave Nyahoda Giving 18 weeks’ imprisonment. He said:

People working in shops and dealing with shoplifters should not have to face threats of that very serious nature.

Nyahoda had 15 previous convictions for 54 offences, many for theft and related crimes.

His lawyer told the court that he originally came to the UK from Zimbabwe via Germany when he was still a young child. He was brought up in Oxford by his grandmother and had a good academic record, but became addicted to hard drugs after using cannabis.

Nyahoda’s drug use started with cannabis and escalated to heroin after a serious car accident left him hospitalised for months. The death of his grandmother caused him to spiral, leading to the incident at Tesco.

His lawyer said has since managed to get clean and is now on a drug-free wing in prison. He plans to stay with an uncle in south Oxfordshire after his release.

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