A MAN with previous convictions for 349 offences has been jailed for four years for breaking into Newtown College and assaulting a caretaker who confronted him.

Judge Niclas Parry told defendant Stuart Jones that his case was awash with aggravating features, after his conviction following a trial.

It had been a planned burglary and he had travelled from the West Midlands to Mid Wales to commit the offence.

He was disguised, was acting jointly with another and he had armed himself with weapons which he found at the scene.

Both intruders had attacked James McBride, a man who was simply doing his job.

Judge Parry, sitting at Mold Crown Court, said that the victim had described Jones as the leader.

He said that Mr McBride deserved commendation and said that he tried everything that he could to persuade Jones to see reason.

"But you attacked him and left him injured," the judge said.

It had been committed at night time and the judge said that Jones, 41, of Crown Walk in Tipton, Sandwell, had a shocking criminal record with 349 offences - over 100 of them dishonesty. He had countless burglaries over the decades.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, said during the early hours of the morning of August 20 last year a burglary occurred at Newtown College in Powys.

The caretakers James McBride and Carl Mullinder attended to the activation of the alarm.

They found two men in the carpentry department, hoods up, trying to conceal their identities.

One male jumped towards Mr McBride while brandishing a hammer, then shouted "hit him Billy."

The second male then struck Mr McBride over the head with what Mr McBride thought was a screwdriver. They both then ran from the scene.

Outlining the case, the prosecutor said a call was received at 01.50am and when they attended the college everything appeared to be in order so they locked up and returned home.

They had only just arrived back at their homes when another call was received from the alarm company again indicating that the alarm had activated.

When they returned to the site the alarm monitor indicated that the alarm had activated at the carpentry fire exit.

They discovered two men, at the top of a stairwell, one of whom the prosecution said was Stuart Jones. One of them was armed with a hammer and the other with a large screwdriver.

The victim told the man to put the hammer down and not to be silly but he replied along the lines of "I will have you" and was aggressive and angry.

Both men then started to walk down the stairs so Mr McBride picked up a metal bar that had been securing the fire exit.

When he was about four steps from the bottom Jones jumped at Mr McBride with the hammer raised above his head. Jones brought the hammer down towards him and he was able to grab hold of the hammer.

He fell backwards through the fire exit with Jones falling on top of him.

Mr McBride was able to take hold of the hammer in one hand and the hoody of Jones in the other.

Jones then shouted “hit him Billy” and the second man hit Mr McBride over the back of the head causing him to let go.

Both males ran off towards the perimeter fence. Jones cleared the eight foot fence but as the other tried to get over the fence he got caught in the barbed wire. Another man has since pleaded guilty and will be sentenced next week.

On September 5 officers seized a mobile phone from Jones and it was found that it was transmitting from masts in the West Midlands, where he lived.

Between 03.50 and 05.53 on August 20, the date of the incident, the mobile phone was transmitting from the Newtown area in Wales. By 10.23 it had returned to the West Midlands area.

Mr Edwards said that a police investigation showed that an advertisement for the sale of a Seat Leon was listed by Jones on an online sale site.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras (ANPR) identified that vehicle travelled towards the Newtown area late on August 19.

During the early hours of the morning of August 20 the vehicle was in the Newtown area and then early morning, 05.45am, the vehicle was heading towards the West Midlands.

Jones was interviewed and answered no comment to the majority of the questions.

He did say that he and Billy did not get on. He said he has never owned or had any association with a Seat and said he knew nothing about the burglary or assault.

Jones denied being involved and his barrister Hunter Gray said that his client denied being at the Mid Wales college at all.

But he was convicted after a short retirement by the jury.