Cwmbran Burglar Jailed After Targeting Homes Across Gwent

A 21-year-old Cwmbran man has been sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution following a series of burglaries and thefts across Gwent.

Jay Jones, from Fieldings, Fairwater, broke into homes while residents were present, including a property in Henllys where he stole a yellow Nissan Juke while the owner was asleep.

In another incident in Abergavenny, Jones and co-defendant Bradley Hemmings entered a house while the occupant was on a work call. The pair also targeted Mountain Warehouse and Aldi, stealing an £80 jacket and £163.80 worth of gin respectively.

Prosecutor Nuhu Gabir told Cardiff Crown Court this was a “mini crime spree”. The court heard Jones has 15 previous convictions for 34 offences, with his criminal record dating back to age 13.

Defence lawyer Richard Ace said: “The defendant struggles with ADHD which is not an excuse, but perhaps a reason why he turned to criminality at such a young age. He is maturing and taking positive steps while in prison to combat his drug problem. He is a young man moving on from the frankly awful set of cards he was dealt as a young boy.”

Judge Vanessa Francis described the offences as “a series of burglaries” that demonstrate “quite a considered piece of behaviour.”