A Manorbier man has been jailed for a brutal and bloody robbery, where he practically ‘beat’ the pin code out of a friend, to take money from his bank account.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jordan Cooney, of Dewing Avenue, punched a friend at least 30 times in the face and effectively beat the victim's bank card pin out of him, Swansea Crown Court heard when the defendant was sentenced on Friday, November 10.

By time of the incident on September 26 this year, the defendant and the victim had known each other for only weeks having met while the victim was busking on the streets of Pembroke; with Cooney being allowed to stay in the basement flat of his victim’s home in Pembroke Dock at times when the defendant had accommodation issues of his own.

The court heard that on the date of the crime, Cooney and his partner Laura Livermore had attended the victim's flat where alcohol and cannabis were consumed, but as midnight approached, Cooney launched an attack on his friend and repeatedly punched him in the face as he lay on the sofa, telling him - “I want your bank card, I want your pin!”

Once he had the pin code, Cooney went to get the bank card, and at this point the victim took his chance to try to escape, but only got as far as the top of the steps up to the pavement before he was dragged back into the flat by Cooney, who warned him not to call the police.

The court heard that shortly after midnight, Cooney used the victim's card and pin at an ATM nearby on Dimond Street, withdrawing £500.

The following day, the victim reported the assault to police, and on the afternoon of September 27 Cooney was located in the Monkton area and arrested.

Cooney had previously pleaded guilty to robbery; assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH); fraud by false representation by using the victim's bank card; and possession of cocaine when he appeared for sentencing.

The court heard he had 16 previous convictions for 39 offences, mainly involving shoplifting and drugs; and in April this year had been sentenced to eight weeks in prison for breaching a domestic violence protection order. At the time of the robbery Cooney was on court bail having pleaded guilty to theft before magistrates a few days earlier.

At Swansea Crown Court, Cooney was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in prison comprising 5 years and 3 months in prison for robbery; 15 months for ABH; 4 months for fraud, and 1 month for possession of cocaine all to run concurrently.

The defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.