TWO burglars who stole tools worth nearly £5,000 from a garden centre walked free from court after it took Gwent Police two years to charge them.

Karl Jones and Paul Meek, both from Cwmbran, had stolen the items from a shipping container at Windrush Nurseries, Portskewett, Caldicot, in February 2019.

Judge Shomon Khan asked prosecutor Tabitha Walker why it had taken more than three years for the matter to be brought to sentence.

MORE NEWS: Violent gang jailed for ‘vicious attack’ on defenceless victim

She replied: “The CPS were not asked for charging advice in this matter until June 2021 and the matter then went through the magistrates’ court and that’s how we’ve ended up here today but essentially the delay is because the police did not refer it for charging.”

The judge questioned her: “Is there any criticism of either of these defendants in the delay in these proceedings?”

The prosecutor answered: “No.”

Judge Khan said the fault of the delay was “entirely the prosecution/police’s doing” and that was “compelling mitigation”.

The defendants were arrested in a Fiat Scudo van at a petrol station on Henllys Way, Cwmbran, in the early hours of February 15, 2019.

Meek was driving and police recovered the power tools and some cocaine from the vehicle.

Jones, aged 38, of Romsley Court, St Dials, and Meek, aged 39, of Woolpitch, Greenmeadow, both pleaded guilty to burglary.

The defendants were also charged with possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

But the prosecution offered no evidence and they were both acquitted on that count.

Jones had eight previous convictions for 15 offences, including possession of drugs in 2007, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Meek had 22 previous convictions for 51 offences, including burglary in 2013.

Judge Khan told the defendants they had “not been in trouble for a number of years” and were capable of being rehabilitated.

Jones was sentenced to a 12-month community order and told he has to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.

Meek was made the subject of a three-month curfew between 9pm and 6am.

Both defendants were ordered to pay £200 each towards prosecution costs as well as a statutory £85 surcharge.