cigarettes
A SWANSEA man has been found guilty of a robbery in which a security guard was beaten with a claw hammer.Andrew Hurlow was part of a masked gang that targeted the Tradeteam Excel lorry compound in Llansamlet last October. The plan was to steal cigarettes and victim Peter Crocombe was attacked as the men tried to find the keys to lorries. Hurlow, aged 41, of Maytree Close, Clase, denied robbery, burglary and attempted robbery, but was convicted after a three-day trial at Swansea Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to steal and was remanded in custody. No other members of the gang were before the court. Hurlow’s wife burst into tears in the public gallery as the jury’s unanimous verdicts were announced yesterday afternoon. He admitted going onto the Tradeteam Excel site with the intention of stealing cigarettes from lorries, but denied having any violence in mind. Hurlow claimed the man responsible for the hammer attack was a former neighbour of his, Darren Strawbridge. Judge Michael Burr will sentence Hurlow next month. Giving evidence, Mr Crocombe said that as he prepared to leave his security hut at 10pm on October 6 he was suddenly confronted by a man who attacked him with a hammer, knocking him to the floor. The man lashed out with the weapon and the guard began bleeding from a head wound. "I had both my hands up, trying to protect myself, but it caught me on the right side of my head three or four times," said Mr Crocombe. The security guard said he became aware of two other men nearby - all three of them wearing full-face balaclavas with eye holes cut in them. The guard was accused by the gang of lying when he said he did not know which lorries contained cigarettes and where the keys were. As the first man used the hammer to break open drawers, Mr Crocombe was robbed of his wallet and mobile phone. The court then heard how, as Mr Crocombe lay on the floor bleeding from his head injury, brake fluid was tipped over him, a cable was attached to his jumper and he heard one of the men asking where petrol could be found. 555 Belomorkanal Bond Camel Chesterfield Dallas Davidoff Dunhill Epique Esse Gauloises Karelia Kent L&M Lucky Strike Magna Marlboro Marlboro Mild Seven Monte Carlo More Pall Mall Parliament Peter I R1 Rothmans Russian Style Salem Sobranie Sovereign Viceroy Virginia Slims Vogue West Winston
