Serial thief with more than 30 previous convictions is jailed after facial recognition led police to him carrying a knife and drugs

Published 3 November 2026, 17:23

• Daniel Franks, 36, from Barry, admitted shoplifting from Boots and a One Stop and was jailed for 64 weeks.
• He was out on licence from an earlier jail term for burglary and thefts from cars when he struck again.
• PC Patryk Juraszek said Franks caused 'significant distress' to shopworkers and the car owners he targeted in the early hours.

A serial car thief with more than 30 theft convictions has been jailed for 64 weeks after facial recognition technology led police to him while he was carrying a knife and drugs.

Daniel Franks, 36, from Barry, was arrested by officers from the Barry Neighbourhood Policing Team on Holton Road on 27 October 2026 after facial recognition identified him as the person responsible for a fresh spree of offences across the town.

When officers stopped him, he was found to be in possession of both drugs and a knife.

Franks has more than 30 previous theft convictions, the vast majority involving stealing from vehicles.

At the time of his latest offending, he was out of prison on licence, having previously been jailed for burglary and thefts from cars — meaning he was subject to licence conditions when he committed the new crimes.

He appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court the following day, on 28 October 2026, and pleaded guilty to shoplifting from Boots and a One Stop shop, possession of cannabis, possession of cocaine, two counts of interfering with vehicles, theft from a vehicle, and carrying a knife in a public place.

He was sentenced the same day to 64 weeks in prison.

The vehicle interference and theft from cars took place during the early hours of the morning — a pattern consistent with the bulk of Franks's lengthy criminal record, which predominantly involves stealing from vehicles, according to South Wales Police.

PC Patryk Juraszek, of the Barry Neighbourhood Policing Team, said Franks had caused "significant distress to both shopworkers and the owners of the vehicles he targeted during the early hours of the morning."

"We hope they feel reassured that swift positive action was taken by us to put this individual before the courts where he has now been brought to justice," he added.

It was facial recognition technology that enabled officers to connect Franks to the new offending and move quickly to detain him on Holton Road, leading directly to his arrest and the discovery of the knife and drugs he was carrying.