A man has been jailed for 16 months after admitting to robbing a 79-year-old man of his £35,000 vintage car in Rhayader last November.

Ben Owen, 35, of Oldbury in the West Midlands, pleaded guilty to robbery, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, and possession of Class A and Class B drugs. He was sentenced at Mold Crown Court on December 19.

The incident happened just before midnight on November 18. Police received a 999 call from the victim, who said he had been attacked outside his home at around 10:30pm.

He told officers that an unknown, masked man had grabbed him by his tie, pulling it tightly around his neck, and then taken the keys to his Morgan Plus 4 classic sports car. The offender demanded the man’s phone number and told him he would call in about 30 minutes before driving off in the £35,000 vehicle.

A short time later, Owen called the victim, giving him two options: either the car would be stripped and sold for spares, or the owner could buy it back. The victim immediately contacted police to report the theft.

Specialist units, including roads policing and the dog unit, were deployed to locate Owen and the stolen car. At around 3:30am, the vehicle was found abandoned on a driveway in nearby St Harmon.

Officers continued searching for the suspect on foot. PC Edwards spotted a shadowy figure lying under a tree. When the officer called for the person to stay put, Owen jumped to his feet and ran over a garden fence into a field. He was pursued on foot, repeatedly warned to stop, and eventually tackled and arrested.

During a search of Owen, officers discovered Class A and Class B drugs, resulting in further charges. The stolen Morgan was examined forensically before being returned to its owner.

In an impact statement, the victim described the effect the robbery had on him and his community.

“It would be a lie to say this incident has not shaken me up. This is a safe area, nothing like that happens here and it’s come as a total and utter surprise to myself and my neighbours,” he said. “I don’t feel safe in my own home anymore and have considered moving, but that would be running away from my problems.”

Addressing Owen directly, he said despite being “somewhat traumatised” by the incident, he bore no personal animosity towards him. “I hope your future improves,” he added.

Today, Owen was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

DS Adam Clark, the officer supervising the case, welcomed the sentence

“We welcome the sentencing of Ben Owen today, and hope that this serves as a reminder that we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice,” he said.

“Mid Wales is a beautiful place to live, and local residents deserve to feel safe as they go about their daily lives. Today’s outcome serves as a warning to anyone seeking cause harm in our communities that they will be caught.”