JORDAN Cooney, 28, of Dewing Avenue in Manorbier, has been handed a prison sentence exceeding five years for a brutal and bloody robbery that took place on the evening of September 26 this year in Pembroke Dock.

Cooney, fuelled by a combination of alcohol and cannabis, invaded his victim’s flat, unleashing a barrage of punches that left the older man battered and terrified. Swansea Crown Court heard that Cooney relentlessly assaulted the victim, demanding his debit card and PIN number with each blow. The victim, who endured between 20 and 30 blows, described the ordeal as the most intense physical trauma of his life.

The motive behind the assault emerged during the court proceedings. Cooney was aware that his victim was due to receive benefit payments at midnight. With calculated precision, Cooney waited for the opportune moment to extract the necessary information to access the funds.

The court was informed that Cooney, after midnight on September 26, attempted to withdraw cash from a Pembroke Dock cash point but was unsuccessful due to the funds not being transferred. Undeterred, he returned at 2:22 am on September 27, successfully withdrawing £500 from the victim’s account. A subsequent attempt to withdraw the remaining £160 was thwarted, as it exceeded the daily withdrawal limit.

Judge Mr Recorder J Powell KC remarked, “This was a deliberate plan. Almost as if you were waiting for midnight to approach so you could get the information to obtain the money.”

Following the harrowing incident, the victim, fearing for his safety, bravely called emergency services. When the police arrived at his residence, they found him with a severely swollen and bloody face, bearing the physical scars of the ruthless attack.

Cooney’s apprehension in Monkton on the afternoon of September 27 led to the discovery of two bags of cocaine worth approximately £100 in his possession. Initially denying the charges of robbery and causing actual bodily harm, Cooney eventually pleaded guilty to robbery, actual bodily harm (ABH), fraud, and possession of a controlled drug during the court hearing on Friday, November 10.

The court uncovered Cooney’s extensive criminal history, comprising 16 previous convictions for 39 offences. Shockingly, he was on bail and under supervision at the time of the robbery and ABH.

In his defence, it was revealed that Cooney expressed genuine remorse for his actions, actively seeking help for his issues, including drug misuse and PTSD. In response, Judge Powell handed down a sentence of five years and three months, with half to be served in jail and the remaining half on licence.

Judge Powell concluded the sentencing with a note of hope, stating, “I hope that you will continue to make use of your time in custody and that by the time you come out you will be a different person. If you do that, everybody else will be delighted. If you don’t, then you will spend much of your life in prison and that will be a tragedy.”

The judge also issued an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim and a destruction order for the seized drugs, highlighting the severity and impact of Cooney’s actions on his victim’s life.