Thanks to effective policing three travelling criminals have been found guilty of robbery at Merthyr Crown Court on 5 November 2010.
The crimes took place on Saturday 3 July 2010, when a robbery occurred at Torpantau near Talybont on Usk, in Powys. It is a well known beauty spot for walkers and a vulnerable target for criminals.
Matthew Hopkins, 25, Ricky Hopkins, 26 and Hayley Parle, 27, all from the Merthyr Tydfil area, appeared before Judge Curran for sentencing at Merthyr Crown Court and two received custodial sentences.
Ricky Paul Hopkins was sentenced to four years for a Robbery in Merthyr Tydfil and two years for the Torpantau Robbery. These sentences are to be served consecutively. He was also sentenced to 12 months for an offence of Theft from an unattended vehicle at Torpantau, which is to be served concurrently.
Matthew Ryan Hopkins was sentenced to four years for the Torpantau robbery and 12 months for the TUMV offence, which will also be served concurrently.
In addition, Hayley Parle was sentenced to nine months in prison – suspended for two years – plus a community order.
Detective Inspector Owain Richards said: “This was an excellent piece of police work in difficult circumstances resulting in the arrest of prolific travelling criminals from the Merthyr area. In addition to praising the officers involved for their efforts, I would also like to highlight that these arrests send a clear message to criminals who travel to Powys to commit crime. These offences have had a traumatic effect on the victims since the incident. However, I am satisfied with the sentence, which reflects the gravity of the crime.”
Dyfed-Powys Police would like to reassure the local community that it is committed to tackling criminals and bringing offenders to justice.
