Man jailed for violent Rhayader doorstep car robbery

A West Midlands man who violently robbed a pensioner of his prized vintage sports car on his own doorstep has been locked up for 16 months.

Ben Owen, 35, from Oldbury, ambushed his 79-year-old victim outside his Rhayader home just before 10:30pm on 18 November, grabbing him by his tie and pulling it tightly around his neck before snatching the keys to his £35,000 Morgan Plus 4 classic car.

After speeding off in the stolen vehicle, Owen had the audacity to phone his victim and present him with an ultimatum – either buy the car back or watch it be stripped and sold for parts.

The shaken pensioner immediately dialled 999, triggering a major police response across Powys. Specialist roads policing units and dog handlers tracked the abandoned Morgan to a driveway in nearby St Harmon around 3:30am.

Officers searching on foot spotted a shadowy figure hiding beneath a tree. When PC Edwards called out, Owen leapt up and vaulted over a garden fence into a field. The pursuing officer tackled him to the ground after Owen refused repeated warnings to surrender.

A search uncovered Class A and B drugs on Owen, adding to his charges of robbery and taking a vehicle without consent.

He pleaded guilty to all four offences at Mold Crown Court on 19 December and was sentenced today.

The victim described the lasting impact in court: “It would be a lie to say this incident has not shaken me up. This is a safe area, nothing like that happens here and it’s come as a total and utter surprise to myself and my neighbours. I don’t feel safe in my own home anymore and have considering moving, but that would be running away from my problems.”

Despite being “somewhat traumatised” by his ordeal, the victim showed remarkable compassion, telling Owen directly: “I hope your future improves.”

DS Adam Clark, who supervised the case, said: “We welcome the sentencing of Ben Owen today, and hope that this serves as a reminder that we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice. Mid Wales is a beautiful place to live, and local residents deserve to feel safe as they go about their daily lives. Today’s outcome serves as a warning to anyone seeking cause harm in our communities that they will be caught.”

The Morgan Plus 4 was seized for forensic examination before being returned to its rightful owner.