Man jailed for violent electric bike robbery in Newport

A Newport man with an extensive criminal history has been sentenced to three years in prison after punching a victim and stealing his £900 electric bike in the city centre.

Ryan Axton, 33, of Campion Close, attacked Gareth Foster-Wells near the Alexander pub on Commercial Street at around 7pm on Sunday, September 7. The two men knew each other and had been chatting before Axton asked for a cigarette and a lift on the bike, then turned violent.

The assault lasted more than two minutes, leaving Mr Foster-Wells needing treatment at Cwmbran’s Grange University Hospital for a cut ear and facial bruising. In his victim impact statement, he said he was unable to afford to replace the Boardman bicycle.

Prosecutor Amelia Pike told Cardiff Crown Court: “He describes feeling victimised and is unable to afford to buy a new bike. Mr Foster-Wells says this incident has cast a shadow over his life.”

Axton pleaded guilty to robbery at Cardiff Crown Court. His record shows 39 previous convictions for 113 offences, including violence, burglary, theft, fraud, taking vehicles without consent and criminal damage.

Defence barrister Kevin Seal told the court his client had an “entrenched drug and alcohol addiction” and had relapsed after attending an “emotional funeral”. Axton had been drinking and taking cocaine on the day of the robbery. Mr Seal added: “He has been working closely with the prison chaplain while being remanded in custody.”

Judge Paul Hobson told Axton: “This was a street robbery. It was brazen, carried out in a main city centre street in broad daylight and fuelled by drugs. Your actions were persistent and involved significant force.”

Axton will serve half of his three-year sentence in prison before being released on licence, with time already spent on remand counting towards this. He was also made subject to a five-year restraining order preventing contact with his victim and must pay a surcharge.