Five men have been given suspended jail sentences after cattle worth over £20,000 was stolen from a farm near Llanerchymedd.

The group all pleaded guilty to consipracy to commit burglary after livestock was taken from the outskirts of the village.

Police used DNA tests and CCTV footage to eventually recover the stolen herd, who were tracked down to another farm in Stoke-on-Trent.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard the livestock had been secured in a shed after being checked by their owner on 10th December 2022.

The following day, he returned to find some of the herd were loose and 14 cows had gone missing.

CCTV footage identified a flatbed lorry with a storage container at the rear travelling to and from Anglesey, which was later spotted on the A55 travelling towards Wrexham.

Liam Kettleborough (29) of Rugby, Warwickshire, was linked to the vehicle and arrested - and when his phone was analysed, detectives found messages between him and four other men.

Further evidence revealed Jack Billington (23) of Rossett, Stanley Jones (26) of Pentre Broughton and Michael McLeod (57) of Llay had travelled with Kettleborough to Anglesey in a Toyota pickup truck on the day of the theft.

Kettleborough and Jones collected the lorry, and shortly before midnight, they loaded the cows while Billington and McLeod waited nearby in the pickup before both vehicles returned to Wrexham in the early hours of the following morning.

The stolen cows were then taken to a cattle farm in Stoke-on-Trent, owned by Clifford Smith (65) of Crewe.

In April 2023, police carried out a series of raids, including at Smith's farm, where all of the stolen cattle were found. They were joined by the victim, who was able to identify his cows - which was later confirmed through DNA testing.

Further tests revealed that two of the cows had given birth after being stolen - the calves were also recovered and returned to the farmer.

North Wales Police said they believed the stolen cows had ben specifically selected by the gang to fraudulently replace some of Smith's fallen stock.

In court, Kettleborough, Jones and McLeod were all given 19-month prison terms, suspended for two years - with Kettleborough and Jones ordered to pay £1,000 compensation and McLeod told to pay £500.

Billington was given a 14-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and banned from driving for a year. He must also pay £1,000 compensation.

Smith was given a five month sentence, suspended for a year, for handling stolen goods and ordered to pay £200 compensation.

Following sentencing on Friday, Andrew Warman from the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service), said: "The evidence in this case had to be pieced together from a variety of sources."

"The investigation was extremely thorough, allowing the CPS to present strong evidence showing how each individual played a part in the overall criminality."

"Rural crime has a significant impact on farming communities, severely affecting peoples’ livelihoods, and is taken very seriously by the Crown Prosecution Service."

PC Michelle Allsup, who led the investigation, said: "Thefts of this nature are thankfully rare, but they have a significant financial and emotional impact on businesses and families, often leaving rural communities left feeling vulnerable and intimidated."

"Although the victim was compensated financially by his insurance company and supported by NFU Mutual, who cared for the cattle during the investigation, the wider impact of this crime was considerable."

“Some of the stolen cows were in calf at the time, while others were intended for imminent breeding. As a result, the victim was forced to restart the breeding process, delaying the arrival of calves intended for sale, and affecting his expected income for that year."

“This investigation demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who target rural communities and ensuring that North Wales remains a safe place to live and work."

Following sentencing on Friday, S4C announced a special edition of the police documentary series Y Llinell Las on the investigation will be shown next Monday at 9.25pm. 'Lladron Gwartheg' will also be available on Clic and BBC iPlayer.