Big Issue seller attacked by ‘coward’ thief she dared challenge over stealing

A serial thief attacked a teenage Big Issue seller after she challenged him over stealing from a shop.

Disturbing footage released by Avon and Somerset Police shows the seller being pushed to the floor before onlookers go to help her.

Ashley Stephen Payne, 32, of Fishponds, was jailed for 44 weeks for the assault of the 19-year-old woman, along with 22 other offences.

They included a separate assault on a 41-year-old shop worker and 16 counts of theft.

All the offences were committed between 30 August and 14 November this year in the Fishponds and Staple Hill areas.

Sgt Andrew Bradshaw, of the Fishponds Neighbourhood Policing team, said; “We’re pleased with the custodial sentence given to Payne by the court for the series of offences he committed in our local community over a two-month spell.

“The attack on the 19-year-old woman was a particularly cowardly and unnecessary act of aggression – all because she challenged him for stealing from a local store.

“It’s taken persistence and hard work by the neighbourhood team and our colleagues in the Detainee Investigation Team to investigate this series of offences and gather the evidence needed to secure these convictions.”

Payne was sentenced at Bristol Magistrates Court on November 15.