A dangerous thief who threatened supermarket employees with violence and brandished a knife during a series of crimes in Cheltenham has been handed a six-year prison sentence.
Jake Ahmed, 25, of no fixed address, was convicted at Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday, June 10, for multiple offences including burglaries and public order violations committed between November 2025 and May 2026.
Police investigations revealed Ahmed’s involvement in a string of shop thefts, captured on CCTV footage. On November 29, 2025, Ahmed was caught on camera shoplifting three bottles of whiskey by hiding them down his trousers in a supermarket. When confronted by staff and security, he threatened to kill employees and directed racial abuse at them before leaving the premises.
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In April 2026, while attempting to steal approximately £100 worth of steaks from a Cheltenham High Street store, Ahmed escalated the situation by producing a 10 to 12-inch silver knife and waving it threateningly at an employee, who fled in fear. Ahmed then escaped with the stolen steaks.
On May 6, Ahmed forcibly entered a boutique by smashing a glass door with a plant pot and kicking it repeatedly. Shortly afterward, he committed another burglary at a nearby tattoo parlour, using a brick to break the front glass door and then kicking his way inside. He stole a thermal tattoo copier valued at roughly £900.
Following his arrest, Ahmed admitted to all charges but claimed he had limited memory of the incidents, attributing his behavior to being under the influence of Xanax. He confessed that he had no justification for the thefts other than the compulsion to steal, and had never intended to pay for the stolen items.
Sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge, Ahmed showed no remorse during police interviews and appeared to find his actions amusing.
PC Josh Govier of the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Policing Team stated, “I am pleased that Ahmed has been jailed as he has shown no remorse for his actions or the impact on his victims. His attitude during interviews underscored a lack of understanding of the seriousness of his crimes.”