A convicted murderer stole almost £4,000 in cash from a man’s coat pocket, which had been withdrawn to pay for the funeral of the victim’s ex-wife’s father. Paul Paginton, 50, stole the money from Anthony Lilwall in Newport town centre on May 8 after seeing him withdraw £4,000 from the Co-Op bank. Mr. Lilwall intended to use the money to help his ex-wife pay for her father’s funeral.
At a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, it was revealed that Paginton, who was also in the bank at the time, observed Mr. Lilwall place the cash in his coat pocket. Subsequently, in a pub, Paginton approached Mr. Lilwall from behind, dipped his hand into his back pocket, and snatched the money before fleeing. Prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins explained that Paginton managed to take £3,540, leaving £460 worth of £20 notes scattered on the pub’s floor. Mr. Lilwall was able to recover the money on the floor, but the £3,540 remained unrecovered.
Paginton, from Ilchester Road, Llanrumney, Cardiff, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to theft. The court heard that he had a previous conviction for murder in 1997, resulting in a life sentence. At the time of the theft, he had been released on licence and had a history of shoplifting and burglary convictions. Mr. Lilwall expressed the significant impact of the loss of the money on him, as he had intended to use it for house expenses once repaid by his ex-wife.
In court, defence barrister Neil Evans described Paginton’s transient lifestyle, noting his preference for sleeping rough rather than in provided accommodations. Evans stated that Paginton had spent the stolen money on a three-night hotel stay and food. The barrister argued that the theft was a case of pickpocketing and was opportunistic in nature. Recorder Victoria Hillier sentenced Paginton to 18 weeks’ imprisonment, with at least half the sentence to be served in custody before a parole board reviews his release eligibility.