A MAN from Brynmawr has been jailed for one year and eight months for a series of offences, including burglary, assaulting a police officer, and affray.

John Neate, 55, of Dale View in Brynmawr, stole £22,000 worth of equipment after trespassing in a building, namely The RCT Salt Depot, in Abercynon on June 14.

Cardiff Crown Court heard on November 27 that Neate, was joined in the "pre-planned" act by his co-defendant Thomas Chick, 32.

Together they stole a black and orange wood chipper to the value of £15,000, an excavator flail to the value of £4,000 and two stainless steel log splitting cone to the value of £3,000 each, from the council-owned building.

Neate committed the crime while being the subject of a 17 week suspended prison sentence for driving offences.

They forced entry and loaded the stolen property onto a loading truck, and were later caught after being identified on CCTV.

Less than one month later, the court heard that on August 7, while Neate was being arrested for driving while disqualified, he chose to assault the police officer.

"The defendant raised a metal bar above his head, which appeared to be a golf club, in attempts to strike an officer," said the prosecution.

"This caused officers to retreat and set up a cordon, before the defendant started clambering up an embankment, using his wife as a barrier."

Prosecutor Niklas Strobl also told the court that Neate has over 45 burglary convictions spanning over his lifetime.

Judge Khan said upon sentencing that this fact is "really troubling."

Acting in Neate's defence, Ieuan Bennett asked Judge Khan to consider that he had recently been involved in an accident whereby he had been run over, leading him to being badly injured.

"The burglary was also not his idea, he thought he was picking up scrap metal - a job with he does quite often," said Mr Bennett.

In what was described as the Judge as "showing a bit of mercy," Neate was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.

Despite being asked to by Neate's defence barrister, Judge Khan felt he could not suspend the sentence due to his criminal background, and a bad report from probation.

He was also ordered to pay £187 in costs.