Security Guard Dies After Confronting Shoplifter at Asda: A Tragic Warning for UK Retail and Community Safety
- Catch A Thief UK
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Catch a Thief UK News Team
The death of a security guard following a confrontation with a suspected shoplifter at an Asda supermarket in Scotland has become a defining case in the UK’s growing retail crime crisis, highlighting the escalating risks faced by frontline workers and the wider impact on community safety.
The incident occurred at the Asda store in Westway Retail Park, Arbroath, Angus, where Alun Harris-Richards, 61, a former Royal Marine employed as a security officer, attempted to stop a woman who was allegedly stealing alcohol from the store.
What happened
Court proceedings revealed that Mr Harris-Richards challenged the suspect as she attempted to leave without paying. A physical struggle followed, involving Mr Harris-Richards, the suspect, and another member of staff. The confrontation, which was captured on body-worn camera footage, escalated rapidly, with the suspect becoming verbally aggressive and resisting staff intervention.
During the altercation, Mr Harris-Richards collapsed. Despite immediate first aid from staff and customers and the attendance of emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Cause of death
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Mr Harris-Richards suffered a fatal heart attack, with underlying coronary artery disease identified as a contributing factor. Medical experts stated that the intense physical stress of the confrontation likely triggered the cardiac event.
Legal status: sentencing pending
The suspect, Natasha Smith, 38, later pleaded guilty to culpable homicide at the High Court in Edinburgh, as well as assaulting another Asda employee during the same incident.
However, she has not yet been sentenced.
The court has confirmed that Smith remains remanded in custody, with the judge stating that a significant custodial sentence is expected. Sentencing has been deferred to allow background and risk reports to be prepared, with the final decision due at a later court date.
Not an isolated case a national pattern
Catch a Thief UK stresses that this was not an isolated tragedy, but part of a wider national pattern in which shoplifting increasingly involves violence, threats, intimidation, and repeat offenders.
Across the UK, retailers and police have reported:
A sharp rise in violent and abusive behaviour linked to shoplifting
Security staff and shopworkers being assaulted, threatened, spat at, and verbally abused
Prolific offenders targeting multiple stores, often daily, with little immediate consequence
Shoplifting is no longer a “low-level” offence. In many communities, it has become a gateway crime linked to wider antisocial behaviour, organised theft, substance abuse, and violence.
Catch a Thief UK stance
Catch a Thief UK believes that when shoplifting is tolerated or downplayed, the consequences extend far beyond lost stock:
Workers are put at risk
Customers feel unsafe
Local businesses suffer
Police and emergency services are stretched
Communities experience declining confidence and order
No security guard, shopworker, or member of the public should face violence or lose their life, over stolen goods.
Catch a Thief UK continues to call for:
Robust consequences for violent and repeat retail offenders
Early intervention for prolific shoplifters before violence escalates
Better protection, training, and legal clarity for retail staff and security officers
Stronger partnerships between retailers, police, councils, and community safety groups
Remembering Alun Harris-Richards
Mr Harris-Richards was described as a dedicated professional who took pride in protecting others. His death has become a stark symbol of the risks faced daily by those working on the front line of retail security.
“This was not just a shoplifting incident, it was a fatal workplace tragedy,” a Catch a Thief UK spokesperson said.
“If this case does not act as a turning point in how retail crime is treated, more lives will be put at risk.”
Comments