A CRIMINAL caught after German police became involved in a case linked to a series of burglaries to steal cars ‘to order’ in Monmouthshire has escaped jail.

Andrew Powell pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods after the front car seats taken out of a hijacked Audi A4 were found in his vehicle.

Prosecutor Lowri Wynn Morgan told Cardiff Crown Court how the 39-year-old defendant was caught after detectives contacted colleagues in Germany.

They were able to trace the serial numbers from the airbags in the seats which provided a perfect match to those which had been in the stolen A4.

The court was told that a number of cars had been stolen ‘to order’ in Monmouthshire and that the Audi in this case was driven off after a break-in back in February 2016 after the car’s keys were taken.

Miss Wynn Morgan outlined Powell’s criminal record and he had 24 previous convictions for 73 offences, mostly for theft, and was jailed for burglary in 2013.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins heard how the defendant, who was represented by his barrister Kevin Seal, was in full-time employment and had recently become a father for the first time.

Powell had been due to go on trial next week after being charged with theft and handling stolen goods, but the prosecution accepted his guilty plea to the latter offence.

Judge Jenkins told the defendant: “I will put you out of your misery, I am not going to send you into custody.”

He sentenced Powell, of Parkview Court, Penarth, to a 12-month community order, 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay the prosecution’s costs of £340 and a victim surcharge.

Before the defendant, who had been on bail for two-and-half years, left the dock to walk out of court, Judge Jenkins said to him: “I trust Mr Powell we will not meet again.”

A criminal caught after German police became involved in a case linked to a series of burglaries to steal cars ‘to order’ in Monmouthshire has escaped jail.

Andrew Powell pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods after the front car seats taken out of a hijacked Audi A4 car were found in his car.

Prosecutor Lowri Wyn Morgan told Cardiff Crown Court how the 39-year-old defendant was caught after detectives contacted colleagues in Germany.

They were able to trace the serial numbers from the airbags in the seats which provided a perfect match to those which had been in the stolen A4.

The court was told that a number of cars had been stolen ‘to order’ in Monmouthshire and that the Audi in this case was driven off after a break-in back in February 2016 after the car’s keys were taken.

Miss Wyn Morgan outlined Powell’s criminal record and he had 24 previous convictions for 73 offences, mostly for theft, and was jailed for burglary in 2013.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins heard how the defendant, who was represented by his barrister Kevin Seal, was in full-time employment and had recently become a father for the first time.

Powell had been due to go on trial next week after being charged with theft and handling stolen goods, but the prosecution accepted his guilty plea to the latter offence.

Judge Jenkins told the defendant: “I will put you out of your misery, I am not going to send you into custody.”

He sentenced Powell, of Parkview Court, Penarth, to a 12-month community order, 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay the prosecution’s costs of £340 and a victim surcharge.

Before the defendant, who had been on bail for two-and-half years, left the dock to walk out of court, Judge Jenkins said to him: “I trust Mr Powell we will not meet again.”