EditorGPS tag helps police catch £12,500 tool thief across Carmarthenshire and Powys
Aston Amos, 35, of Bewdley, and Robbie Bate, 27, of Stourport‑on‑Severn, admitted stealing tools worth more than £12,500 from five vehicles during overnight raids in July.
Raids across two counties leave tradesmen out of work
Dyfed‑Powys Police received reports of break‑ins in Brecon and Builth Wells on 17 July, followed by further thefts in Newcastle Emlyn and Llandysul on 24 July. Court documents show the stolen items included a chainsaw worth around £500, roofing tools valued at £1,500, and other equipment worth thousands of pounds. The damage and loss left several tradesmen unable to work.
Investigators linked the crimes to an Audi A4 seen in each area. Hotel records later showed Bate had checked into accommodation in St Clears using the car’s registration number. Amos, meanwhile, was wearing a GPS monitoring tag at the time. Location data placed him at the scene of each theft. When questioned, he told officers: “You have put me in the area. That’s all you have done, put me in the area,” and even claimed never to have heard of Carmarthenshire.
Police seized the Audi and recovered some of the stolen tools before requesting assistance from West Mercia Police to arrest the pair.
Court hears of past convictions as sentences handed down
At Swansea Crown Court on 14 November, Amos was jailed for nine months, consecutive to a sentence he was already serving. Bate received a nine‑month sentence suspended for two years, along with a 12‑week curfew, 160 hours of unpaid work, and 20 rehabilitation activity days. The court heard Amos had 15 previous convictions for 24 offences, while Bate had eight previous convictions for 22 offences.
Detective Constable Carl Thomas, who led the case, said:
“This was a strong investigation led by North Ceredigion CID with a huge amount of support from a number of departments across the force to apprehend two travelling criminals.
Amos and Bate came into the Dyfed‑Powys area with the aim of targeting vans that might contain valuable tools, working their way through two counties to acquire a vast number of items.
Thankfully we have been able to recoup some of the stolen items for the victims, however these thefts will still have caused a loss of income and inconvenience for those affected.”
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🏴Stuart Bain
Jake Rayson
Gomez 
