Pontypool man jailed for knifepoint trap robbery

A 27-year-old man has been jailed for six years after using traffic cones as a “trap” to rob a driver at knifepoint in Rogerstone.

Thomas Hunt, of Greenwood Road, Abersychan, Pontypool, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, October 27, for two separate incidents involving dangerous driving and robbery.

The robbery: On December 6, 2024, Craig Brennan left his home at 4.30am to go to work when he noticed two cones and a diversion sign blocking a road he knew was normally accessible. When he got out of his car to move them, leaving his keys in the ignition, Hunt appeared and said: “Give me the f***ing keys.”

Hunt threatened Mr Brennan with a hammer, swinging it towards him and striking his arm. He then said: “I will f***ing stab you then,” before pulling out a pen knife and lunging at the victim. Hunt drove off in the stolen vehicle, which was later found nearby undamaged.

The prosecution said it was their opinion that the cones and sign had been “a trap” to make the victim stop.

The police chase: In a separate incident on December 12, 2023, police spotted Hunt driving a Citroen to a “poor standard” on the A4043 in Pontypool around 1am. A pursuit followed, with Hunt reaching speeds of 75mph through 30mph residential streets and performing a dangerous overtake on a left-hand bend. He eventually abandoned the car in a cul-de-sac, leaving behind his mobile phone and provisional driving licence.

Victim impact: In a statement read to the court, Mr Brennan said: “I constantly replay the incident in my mind thinking about what could have happened. My arm still hurts where the hammer hit it and I have significant anxiety when I leave my address.”

He added that he now constantly worries about his and his family’s safety, and has fitted trackers to his family members’ cars and bikes as a precaution.

The sentence: Hunt, who has eight previous convictions for 13 offences, pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a knife, dangerous driving, and driving without a licence or insurance.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke sentenced him to six years in prison, disqualified him from driving for five years, one month and two weeks, and imposed a 10-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his victim.

The court heard that Hunt had worked as a barber for six years before his arrest. His defence said three defining incidents – his grandmother dying, his mother having a stroke, and his close friend overdosing – had sent him into a downward spiral.