Cyclist Attacked, E-Bike Stolen Returning From Shops: Court Hears

A man was biking home with his groceries. A group of people attacked him on the street. They stole his bike and food, the court was told. The group of men and women surrounded him. This happened in the early morning hours.

The cyclist and a friend found one attacker later, Jonathan Yeandle. They held him until the police came. Yeandle’s lawyer praised the victim’s “resilience,” because he found and restrained Yeandle after getting hurt. Yeandle even needed hospital treatment.

The prosecutor, Harry Dickens, spoke in court. Around 1:40 am on August 31st, the man borrowed a bike from a friend living on Griffith John Street. The friend needed the e-bike back for work, so the man biked to Dillwyn Street. There, he bought food before he started back to the flats.

The prosecutor said the man saw a woman he knew, who tried to talk to him near the Full Moon pub. The man said he couldn’t stop right then. As he neared the Dyfatty junction footbridge, Yeandle blocked him and grabbed the bike’s handlebars. He accused the rider of talking to his girlfriend.

Four more people came up behind the cyclist and surrounded him. Yeandle grabbed him by the neck and pulled the man to the ground. The prosecutor said they kicked and punched him, but it’s unclear exactly who did what. Still, Yeandle admits he kept attacking him. The group stole the e-bike, and then everybody ran away.

The man went back to his friend’s flat with cuts on his hands and was “visibly shaking,” people said. The two friends looked for Yeandle and last saw him near the train station on High Street. The pair found the 25-year-old, detained him, and called police.

Jonathan James Yeandle lived on Griffith John Street and admitted to assault. The court sentenced him via video link from prison. His past includes theft, but he has no violence convictions.

James Hartson spoke for Yeandle, saying his client “reacted poorly” that night when he saw the man talking to his partner. Yeandle has been in jail since September 2nd. Yet, he secured a prison job, mentors other inmates, and quit drugs. The lawyer claimed the injuries were minor and added that the victim wasn’t attacked to steal the bike. The cyclist showed great “resilience” by tracking down the defendant after being hurt, even though Yeandle needed to go to the hospital.

Recorder Christian Jowett spoke, focusing on how Yeandle assaulted the man early August 31st while others stole his bike. Yeandle got a 25% discount for pleading guilty and received a 30-week prison sentence. Inmates serve half their time, then they’re on licence in the community, and jail time already served counts toward the sentence. The prosecution dropped the robbery charge, and the judge declared him not guilty of that.