Llanelli man admits late-night robbery of woman walking home alone

A 31-year-old man from Llanelli has admitted robbing a woman of her handbag as she walked home alone after a night out with friends. The incident took place just before midnight on Friday 20 June, near Eastgate bus station, and ended with the victim being pulled to the ground on Glenalla Road.

Jake Dighton, of Bridge Street, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to robbery at Swansea Crown Court on Friday 25 July. He has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced later this year.

The court heard that the woman had been on the phone to her boyfriend when she first noticed Dighton nearby. She slowed down and crossed the road to create distance, believing he had gone in a different direction. Moments later, she felt her shoulder pulled back by the strap of her handbag and fell forward onto the pavement as Dighton ran off with her bag.

Despite suffering cuts and bruises, the victim attempted to chase him but lost sight of him. She returned home and contacted police.

Following a public appeal, Dyfed Powys Police carried out extensive CCTV and doorstep enquiries. Footage from the area helped officers track Dighton’s movements before and after the robbery. He was eventually found living in a tent in the grounds of St Elli’s Church, and was arrested and charged.

Police praised the victim’s courage and the community’s support during the investigation.

This is not the first time Dighton has faced serious charges for violence. In 2014, he was sentenced to six years in youth custody for a frenzied knife attack in Llanelli. According to a Wales Online report, Dighton slashed a man’s arm so severely it resembled “something out of a butcher’s shop,” inadvertently stabbing his own brother during the assault. The incident left the victim with long-term nerve and tendon damage requiring multiple surgeries.

A publicly viewable social media image of Dighton has been used to accompany this report, in the absence of an official custody photograph.

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