A PAIR of brothers have been sentenced following their involvement in a ‘nasty’ robbery of a vulnerable man in Rhyl.

Adam Saunders of East Parade and Matthew Saunders of Water Street, in Rhyl, aged 19 and 29 respectively, pleaded guilty at Mold Crown Court to taking part in a robbery in Rhyl in January 2020.

Adam Saunders was also issued a further sentence for breach of restraining order on conviction.

Matthew Saunders was sentenced to 37 months in prison, of which he will serve half before being released on licence, and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

Adam Saunders was sentenced to a total of 22 months for the robbery and for breaching a suspended sentence issued for his conduct to his former partner, which he will serve at a young offenders’ institute.

The Court heard how, on the evening of January 17, 2020, a vulnerable adult with learning and physical difficulties travelled to Chester with £500.

He was then punched in the face by Matthew Saunders shortly after arriving at Rhyl train station, having spoken to Adam Saunders on the train.

After the victim fell to the floor, Matthew Saunders then kicked him in the ribs twice, telling him to give his phone to Adam Saunders.

Matthew Saunders then told the victim to give them his money, which he did; the value of which was about £400.

The victim suffered a bloody nose and suspected bruising to his kidneys, left eye and ribs, and was also threatened by the brothers, saying they'd ‘put him in a coffin’ if he reported the incident.

The defence counsel for Matthew Saunders, Richard Edwards, said that a ‘combination of difficult time in his personal life and the use of cannabis’ led him to be involved in the robbery.

He added that Matthew Saunders has begun to realise he cannot continue to self-medicate with cannabis and sought to resolve aspects of his personal life including finding work and establishing contact with his young son.

Mr Edwards asked the judge to consider suspending Matthew’s sentence so that he retained the opportunity to ‘put his life on track’.

Judge David Hale said that Matthew Saunders ‘played a leading role’ in the ‘nasty’ robbery, adding: “His injuries seem to be very serious. You knew he had learning difficulties; you knew he had money.

“You took advantage of him by robbing him and you, at the end of the day, received the money.”

The defence counsel for Adam Saunders, Elen Owen, said the majority of his offending has been ‘committed with others, and the robbery is no exception to that’, adding that he didn’t use any physical violence, and was by no means the ‘mastermind’ behind the robbery.

Ms Owen also noted that Adam struggles with an ‘inability to sleep’ and has ‘little concept of day and night’, and that he has a long-standing issue with impulse control.

Judge David Hale told Adam Saunders: “You didn’t play a leading role in the robbery – you’re the one who took the money once your brother had kicked the man on the ground - but you joined in with the threats to him afterwards as to what to not do.

“Courts have bent over backwards to assist you by proposing non-custodial sentences as far as they can, because one recognises that there are the medical conditions set out in the report.

“But the time has now come; I’m afraid I must require you to undergo a custodial sentence.”

The Court also heard how Adam Saunders had, on three separate occasions, breached a four-year restraining order from his former partner issued on June 16.

On August 13, he was spotted near his former partner’s address and the following day, at about 4am, she was woken by the sound of him banging on the bedroom window while stood on the garden shed.

On August 16, he appeared over the fence of the back garden asking to see his daughter; he was later arrested.