Man jailed for robbery in Hemel Hempstead

A man has been jailed in connection with an incident in Hemel Hempstead.

Michael Hayes, aged 54, from Edmonton, was sentenced to two years and eight months imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court yesterday (Monday 19 August), after pleading guilty to robbery on day one of his trial.

The charge related to an incident which occurred during the early hours of Thursday 11 January.

It was reported that a woman was walking along St John’s Road sometime between 4am and 4.20am when she was grabbed and verbally threatened.

She collapsed to the floor in fear and her handbag was stolen before the suspect left the area.

An extensive investigation was subsequently launched by the Dacorum Local Crime Unit to identify the offender.

Hundreds of hours’ worth of CCTV footage was viewed, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology was utilised, and a public appeal was issued for witnesses.

As a result, Hayes was arrested seven days later.

His DNA was discovered on the victim’s scarf and on her handbag, which had been discarded inside a bin on Parkwood Drive.

He was charged and remanded into custody ahead of his trial.

During the hearing, the judge praised detectives, describing their investigation as “painstaking” and “impressive”.

Investigator Lisa Brown, who led the case, said: “Women should be able to walk alone at any time of day without fearing for their safety and I know this incident caused a great deal of concern among the local community.

“This was a huge investigation, with detectives from across the unit working long hours to identify a suspect with very little information to go on initially.

“The victim has shown great courage throughout, and I am pleased that we have been able to secure a prison sentence. We will always do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”