48-year-old Christopher Cole also cut the the wires linked to the store’s alarm system
CEF Electrical in Aberystwyth(Image: Google)
A man smashed his way into an electrical shop, shut down the alarm system and stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of tools from inside.
Police received a call from CEF Electrical in Aberystwyth reporting that a burglary had taken place at some point between 3pm on Sunday, September 29, and 7.15am the following morning. When the shop owner arrived on the Monday morning he noticed that the front door was smashed and the wires linked to the alarm system had been cut.
Inside the electrical store he noticed that several items – mainly high-power electrical tools – had been stolen. He worked out that the value of the missing items totalled around £30,000. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter
Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police arrived at the scene and began securing forensic evidence. They also conducted house-to-house enquiries and searches of CCTV footage, which captured a vehicle turning up outside the store at around 11.30pm on the Sunday night and then again at around 1am on the Monday morning.
Checks confirmed that the vehicle belonged to a 48-year-old Christopher Cole from Hackney, London.
DNA swabs taken from the inside of a broken windowpane also pointed to Cole being present at the scene.
Cole was named as a wanted suspect and extensive search enquiries led to his arrest in Rugby, England, by officers from Hampshire Police on Wednesday, November 19.
He was brought into Aberystwyth police station for questioning and subsequently charged with burglary, before being released on conditional bail. On Monday, December 22, Cole admitted to the offence.
“This was a serious offence committed by a man who thought he could travel into our force area and target a local business for his own gain,” said PC Joe Roberts of Dyfed-Powys Police.
“This crime has understandably had a significant impact on the business and its employees, and I hope this outcome will reassure them that Dyfed-Powys Police will not tolerate travelling criminals in our area. We eagerly await his sentencing.”
Cole will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on January 30, 2026.
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.