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Alan Chappell-WilliamsA man has recalled a “frightening” violent attack which ended in his car being stolen, as figures show a sharp rise in car thefts.
Alan Chappell-Williams was beaten unconscious by two men in May 2024 while walking home from Cardiff city centre after an evening out with a friend.
His mobile phone, wallet and keys were taken during the attack, while his car was stolen the following morning just minutes after he got home from hospital.
His vehicle was one of over 4,000 reported stolen in Wales in 2024 – an increase of 31% in 10 years, figures show.
Home Office data shows there were more than 133,000 vehicle theft offences recorded in England and Wales in 2023-24, a 12% increase compared with 2018-19.
Mr Chappell-Williams, who was attacked and robbed in the Riverside area of the city, said the experience was “quite frightening”.
“I had a broken collarbone, a broken nose, my face was swollen, and I had black eyes. I had a good kicking, that is the best way of describing it,” he added.
Mr Chappell-Williams said he did not remember the attack taking place and when he woke up he was in A&E at the University Hospital of Wales.
The following morning at 07:30 BST he arrived home, and a few minutes later his car was stolen by the attackers.
Mr Chappell-Williams said he believed they knew where he lived because his driver’s licence had been taken in the attack.
“I could not believe they had the audacity after what they had done to then walk up the street looking for the car,” he said.
He said it was difficult to know what the motivation behind the attack was, but added: “The car was found in a ‘cut and shut’ garage, that is was it was described to us as.
“It was part of an organised crime gang and it makes you think for the car to have disappeared and within a day it was in that sort of system… it makes you question it.”
Both attackers pleaded guilty to robbery, with one pleading guilty to theft of a motor vehicle. They are yet to be sentenced.
South Wales Police said in recent months there had been a rise in the number of stolen vehicles in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan area.
Insp Gerallt Hughes said it was “obviously a concern”.
Asked why there was an increase across Wales, he said it was “hard to put a finger on it”.
He said there was a “high reward” for stealing vehicles, but added: “There is always a risk of being caught as well.
“That is where we need to come in and look at the forensic opportunities so we can minimise the risk and hopefully make it more of a challenge for those responsible.”
Simon Varney, owner of South Wales Vehicle Security, said the most common technique used by thieves was called a relay attack.
It means a device is used to detect and amplify a fob’s signal without the need to steal a key or break into a property.
He said people were now “massively beefing up security” on their cars.
‘Huge impact on people’
The Home Office said it was determined to clamp down on vehicle theft, which it said had “a huge impact on people and communities”.
“For too long, many of the victims have felt that not enough was being done to prevent their vehicles being stolen, or track down the thieves responsible,” a spokesperson added.
“In our new Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing forward legislation to ban electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them.”
