Gary Jones (Image: South Wales Police)
Last Updated: 1 minute ago
A 38-year-old man has been sent to prison for four years after matching footage of his shoes helped police connect him to a run of ram raid style break-ins.
Gary Jones, of Church Village in Rhondda, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday (October 6). He had earlier denied the offences but changed his pleas to guilty.
The charges
Jones admitted three counts of burglary other than dwelling – theft. He also admitted one count of theft of a motor vehicle and one count of possessing cocaine, a class A drug.
Goods worth more than £18,000 were taken from the three premises he burgled.
The raids
South Wales Police began receiving reports of burglaries carried out in a ram raid style in February 2026. Security camera footage showed vehicles being driven into the buildings. A Mitsubishi Colt was used first and a Vauxhall Zafira later, and officers were able to link both cars to Jones.
The shoe evidence
Gwent Police then told South Wales officers that Jones had been identified as a suspect for a burglary in its own force area.
Officers compared the CCTV from Gwent with their own footage. The shoes Jones was wearing matched those seen in the South Wales recordings.
A motorbike was also reported stolen the day before Jones was arrested. Camera footage of that theft also appeared to show Jones in the same shoes.
What police said
The officer dealing with the case said: “Burglars like Gary Jones care nothing for the impact to the businesses that they cause his offending will have had a big effect on their lives.”
They added: “It is always pleasing to see people like Gary Jones have justice catch up with them. He is deservedly heading to prison”
