A terrifying incident unfolded in Heol Trelai park, Cardiff, as a mother and her children were confronted by a knife-wielding robber demanding her belongings.
Alun Northcott, 32, approached the victim on his bicycle, saying: “I don’t want to hurt you – give me your purse”. When she refused, he produced a carving knife and cut the strap of her shopping bag from her pushchair.
The bag contained essential items including an iPhone, bank cards, children’s clothes, and nappies. Some items were later recovered in a nearby lane.
“I was a strong independent person who never suffered with mental health but panic attacks and anxiety have become part of my life. My self-confidence is now gone and I am a different person… I believed myself and my children were going to die that day and someone would find us on the floor,” the victim stated in court.
Northcott, who has 29 previous convictions, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to six years and 10 months imprisonment with an extended licence period of three years, to run concurrently with an existing seven-year sentence for a separate offence. 👨⚖️
