The Welsh Newsdesk - Articles of possible interest from the Land of Song and Sheep

  • 🔧 Issue with uploading attachments resolved.
  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
Kicking off this thread with a story about a real life 'teenage rampage'...

Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/young-teenage-girls-kicked-victims-31635299
Credit: Abbie Wightwick, Education Editor for Wales Online
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/oAMLS

78.webp

Cardiff Magistrates' Court (Image: MEDIA WALES)

Two 14-year-olds who violently assaulted victims at a school and college in Bridgend and were also found guilty of blackmail and assault have narrowly avoided custody.

The girls, both from the Bridgend area, and one of whom was just 13 at the time of the offences, both pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to one allegation each of blackmail, two allegations of actual bodily harm and two allegations of assault. Appearing for sentencing separately at a hearing at Cardiff Youth Court on May 13 they were both told prison had been considered owing to the level of violence.

The attacks on four victims took place between March 2 and 4 this year at Brynteg Comprehensive, Bridgend College, Pyle railway station and near to a leisure centre.

One of their victims was pulled to the floor, kicked in the head and face and suffered a bloody nose, swollen ear, bumps to the head concussion and PTSD, the court was told.

Another was ordered to kneel and kiss their feet and then kicked in the head and body on the ground while being sworn and screamed at.

One of the victims was so traumatised by the attack and threats that they took an overdose and were hospitalised, the court was told.

In victim statements read out in court three of the victims described being unable to eat or sleep properly since the attacks, feeling too scared to leave their homes or go back to school and college.

They said they were "petrified" their assailants would attack them again and described feeling "let down" by the justice system.

Neither the accused, nor their victims can be identified because of their ages.

The older of the two assailants was already on a youth referral order at the time of the attacks with a previous conviction for actual bodily harm. The younger received a caution for possession of a knife or bladed article in a public place 2024, the hearing was told.

Mobile phone footage played to the court showed how they attacked one of their victims in a school corridor, pulling her to the floor, kicking her head, punching her body and face and shouting abuse.

Footage also showed a girl made to kneel on the ground at college and kiss her attackers before being kicked, hit and yelled at her, while another video showed the attackers waving their feet in a victim's face and ordering her to kiss them.

The victims were threatened with being "battered" and told to pay £60 or videos of them kissing their attackers' feet would be shared on social media. When video was shared one victim felt so embarassed and ashamed that she considered taking her life, Sewak Singh, prosecuting, said.

In powerful testimony in person to the court one of the victim's mother's described the impact on her and her family. Fighting back tears she said her daughter has had problems eating, sleeping and socialising since the attack: "She says she does not like being in the house alone and has no doubt (they) would attack her again. She used to be out with friends but not now."

Statements from the mothers of two of the other victims were also read out. One said she would never get over seeing footage of her daughter attacked while people stood around and filmed it, doing nothing to help.

Another described the trauma of knowing her child had been assaulted in school, where she should have been safe and described how she did not want to go back. One said her daughter had changed and was no longer the person she was before the attack.

All spoke of feeling let down by the justice system with their children left too scared to go out alone and in fear of their attackers,

The older of the two accused wiped away tears when challenged about how she felt hearing the impact of her crimes. She said she felt "horrible" and was crying because of "everything".

Defending her Michael Hall said she had a "turbulent background" but had reflected and shown some remorse and there was "scope for rehabilitation".

The younger of the two admitted "I am sorry. The things I have done. I shouldn't have done."

Defending her Michael Hall said she was impressionable and had been subject to "malignant peer pressure", but he acknowledged she was guilty of "wanton criminality" and "has to be punished".

The older of the two was given an 18-month Youth Rehabilitation Order with an Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Order to include a 30-day activity with supervision and a 9pm to 7am curfew. She was also barred from entering the area where the attacks took place and all education institutions apart from those she attends. She will also have GPS trail monitoring.

On top of this a four-year restraining order was imposed banning her from contacting the four victims, including on social media, or going to their homes. Her parent was also ordered to pay all four victims £60 each in compensation on her behalf.

Issuing the sentence chair of the bench Jane Anning told her: "We feel these assaults and the victims' ongoing fear of violence mean these offences clearly indicate prison. However, there is a direct alternative to immediate prison and we have decided to take this route - a Youth Rehabilitation Order with iintensive supervision and surveillance - the highest sentence available without sending you straight to prison today."

She warned the girl that "because of the level of behaviour prison was a very real option" and warned that should she not comply with the order and restrictions she would be back before the court with more serious implications.

The younger of the two was given a Youth Referral Order and restraining orders were imposed in respect of the four victims banning her from contacting them, including on social media, or going to their homes. Her parent was also ordered to pay each of the victims £60 compensation on her behalf.

Sentencing the younger of the two the chair of the bench told her the attacks had also caused "severe mental trauma" on the victims and their families.

"We feel this is so serious prison is justified. However, you are only 14. We have decided it is a priority to give you every possible chance to put your life on a better path. The choice is yours."

No court costs were imposed on either defendant.
 

Monster paedophile banned from multiple parks, housing estates and streets until 2045​


Steven Loveridge mapped the movements of young girls and used dice and playing cards to play a warped game of chance to determine his victims and the kind of offending he would carry out​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/monster-paedophile-banned-multiple-parks-31803675

Credit:
Jason Evans Court and Crime Reporter, Wales Online, 04:00, 07 Jun 2025
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/Ybkgx

1_SWEP_JE_StevenLoveridgeJPG.webp

Steven Loveridge (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)
A sexual predator who carried out detailed surveillance on children has been hit with a court order banning him from entering named parks, rugby and football clubs, housing estates, streets and footpaths, and going within 100 metres of any school.

Steven Loveridge mapped the movements and habits of young girls and researched the best spots from which to watch them as well as plotting "escapes routes" he could use which avoided CCTV coverage. He also used dice and playing cards to play a "warped" game of chance to determine his victims and the kind of offending he would carry out.

Last month the 60-year-old was given an extended sentence as a dangerous offender at Swansea Crown Court. Following the sentence police described Loveridge as a "monster".

Now, Loveridge has been made the subject of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which is designed to control his behaviour once he is released from custody.

Under the order the defendant is prohibited from loitering within 100 metres of any school, nursery or playgroup and is banned from entering Blackpill in Swansea, Victoria Gardens in Neath town centre, Gorsedd Park in Ystradgynlais, Gwynfryn Park in Alltwen, and Ystrad Fawr Nature Reserve in Ystradgynlais.

He is also banned from entering or loitering around Ystradgynlais Sports Centre and Penrhos playing fields in Ystradgynlais as well as Trebanos, Alltwen, and Ystalyfera rugby clubs and Pontardawe Town, Cwm Wanderers, and Ystradgynlais football clubs.

Loveridge is also banned from entering multiple residential streets and housing estates around Ystradgynlais, Ystalyfera, and Ynysmeudwy including Tawe Park, Glantawe Park, Gurnos, and the estate off Hodgson’s Road, as well as from using a section of Cycle Route 43 around Ystalyfera.

He is also banned from the seafront on Mumbles Road, Swansea, unless he is only passing through and does not stop, and is banned from loitering at any bus stop unless he is catching a bus.

The order also imposes a series of restrictions and controls on the defendant's use of electronic devices and the internet, and bans him from entering and staying in any property where an under-18 lives without written approval from social services and from having contact with under-18s - save what is "inadvertent and not reasonably avoidable in the course of lawful daily life" - unless he his supervised by a parent who has knowledge of his conviction.


Skip to main content
Wales Online
News
Rugby
Football
What's On
More

Buy a Paper
Funeral Notices
Public Notices
Jobs
Directory
Advertise with us
Book an Ad
Marketplace
News
Latest Wales News
Courts
Monster paedophile banned from multiple parks, housing estates and streets until 2045
Steven Loveridge mapped the movements of young girls and used dice and playing cards to play a warped game of chance to determine his victims and the kind of offending he would carry out
News
Jason Evans Court and crime reporter
04:00, 07 Jun 2025
mugshot of man
Steven Loveridge(Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)
A sexual predator who carried out detailed surveillance on children has been hit with a court order banning him from entering named parks, rugby and football clubs, housing estates, streets and footpaths, and going within 100 metres of any school.

Steven Loveridge mapped the movements and habits of young girls and researched the best spots from which to watch them as well as plotting "escapes routes" he could use which avoided CCTV coverage. He also used dice and playing cards to play a "warped" game of chance to determine his victims and the kind of offending he would carry out.


Last month the 60-year-old was given an extended sentence as a dangerous offender at Swansea Crown Court. Following the sentence police described Loveridge as a "monster".


Now, Loveridge has been made the subject of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which is designed to control his behaviour once he is released from custody.

READ MORE:Teen boy met 13-year-old girl for oral sex but ran away when he saw her friends hiding in bushes

READ MORE:Dad dies on 'holiday of a lifetime' following sickening Benidorm attack

Under the order the defendant is prohibited from loitering within 100 metres of any school, nursery or playgroup and is banned from entering Blackpill in Swansea, Victoria Gardens in Neath town centre, Gorsedd Park in Ystradgynlais, Gwynfryn Park in Alltwen, and Ystrad Fawr Nature Reserve in Ystradgynlais.

He is also banned from entering or loitering around Ystradgynlais Sports Centre and Penrhos playing fields in Ystradgynlais as well as Trebanos, Alltwen, and Ystalyfera rugby clubs and Pontardawe Town, Cwm Wanderers, and Ystradgynlais football clubs.

Loveridge is also banned from entering multiple residential streets and housing estates around Ystradgynlais, Ystalyfera, and Ynysmeudwy including Tawe Park, Glantawe Park, Gurnos, and the estate off Hodgson’s Road, as well as from using a section of Cycle Route 43 around Ystalyfera.

He is also banned from the seafront on Mumbles Road, Swansea, unless he is only passing through and does not stop, and is banned from loitering at any bus stop unless he is catching a bus.

The order also imposes a series of restrictions and controls on the defendant's use of electronic devices and the internet, and bans him from entering and staying in any property where an under-18 lives without written approval from social services and from having contact with under-18s - save what is "inadvertent and not reasonably avoidable in the course of lawful daily life" - unless he his supervised by a parent who has knowledge of his conviction.

The order will run until June, 2045.

The extent of Loveridge's interest in children came to light after he was arrested for approaching young girls in shops in the Swansea Valley and exposing himself and making sexual comments.

On arrest he was found to be carrying coloured dice and modified playing cards which it emerged were part of a "warped" game of chance he used to determine his victims.

A subsequent search of his home in Cyfyng Road in Ystalyfera uncovered maps and documents showing his detailed research of the movements of girls - many of whom he had assigned names to such as "Ponty Lollipop Girl" and "My Little Pony Girl" - including the routes they took to school and shops or parks they attended.

Officers also uncovered videos of children he had taken with a camera on his cycle helmet and detailed notes where he recorded interactions he had had with girls in shops and other locations.

Loveridge was given an extended 12 year and seven month sentence comprising six years and seven months in prison followed by an extended licence of six years. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Speaking after the sentencing, the officer in the case, Dyfed-Powys Police detective constable Andy Leonard, said: "The handwritten notes and audio recordings made by Steven Loveridge himself suggest that the offences he committed against the young girls in Ystradgynlais and Ystalyfera are just a glimpse of what this monster could be capable of.
 

Gang boss who was arrested in his pants to pay back fraction of £764k gains​


Luke Mattan, 36, of Cardiff, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months imprisonment for conspiracy to supply class A drugs​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gang-boss-who-arrested-pants-31817798?
Credit: Philip Dewey, Court Correspondent, 18:42, 09 Jun 2025
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/Ui9Jr

0_PDR_ECH_220724LukeMattan.webp

An organised crime gang leader who was arrested outside his home in his underwear has been ordered to pay back just £1,700 despite benefiting by more than £700,000. He was involved in the supply of thousands of pounds worth of cocaine.

Luke Mattan, 36, of Cardiff, ran the crime group alongside his "number two" Saswall Abdullah, 27. Both men were involved in the supply of 12kg of cocaine. They were also connected with Joseph Thomas-Mullen, 49, a member of the Liverpool gang based in south Wales who would collect debt money from Mattan on behalf of an upstream supplier.

In April 2020 an arrangement was made for Mattan to purchase 5kg of cocaine for £195,000 from Thomas-Mullen and the upstream supplier.

Mattan was also given two keyworker certificates to be used by his couriers in case they should be stopped by the police during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Mattan's courier Carla Trace, 43, drove a hired Nissan Juke wearing a carers uniform to London on April 5, 2020, to pick up the 5kg of cocaine before stopping at an address in Fairwater, Cardiff, where Abdullah lived. Trace was arrested on April 23, 2020.

Luke Mattan was arrested on June 17, 2020, at his home. Footage released by South Wales Police showed the dealer in his underwear as police armed with a taser place him in handcuffs outside his front door.

Thomas-Mullen was arrested on July 17, 2020 at Cardiff Airport upon returning from Malaga, and Adullah on July 22, 2020.

Luke Mattan's siblings, Kirsty Mattan, 34, and Jordan Mattan, 32, were also involved in the enterprise as couriers.

In April 2020, Kirsty Mattan collected £14,480 on behalf of her brother. She also acted as a courier by delivering money and a gram of cocaine to Thomas-Mullen.

0_PDR_ECH_240724LukeMattan.webp

Drug dealer Luke Mattan, 35, was arrested outside his home in Cardiff in his underwear (Image: South Wales Police)
Kirsty Mattan was arrested in August 2020 and denied being involved, but claimed others had access to her phone.

Jordan Mattan, who acted as a "storeman" of class A drugs, was arrested on June 17, 2020. He was found to have delivered 600g of cocaine to Porth in March 2020.

Luke Mattan, of Fairwater, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

He was sentenced to 15 years and eight months imprisonment, last year.

A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard Mattan had benefited to the tune of £764,435 as a result of his offending, but only has assets worth £1,788.

Judge Shomon Khan ordered the defendant to pay that sum within three months or serve an additional one month imprisonment in default.
 

Paedophile admitted raping girl 15 in Caernarfon while serving sentence for sex assault of boy, 5​


Kyle Parry admitted the attack while he was serving a sentence for sexually assaulting a young boy.​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/paedophile-admitted-raping-girl-15-31824434
Credit: Steve Bagnall, Breaking News Editor for Wales Online
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/5S9bB

1_SBR_DPW_100625parry_01jpeg.webp

A man admitted raping a 15-year-old girl while serving a sentence for sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy.

Kyle Parry, 30, of Wellington Street, Oakes, Huddersfield, made the admission to a probation officer in 2021 who was assessing his ongoing risk of committing sexual offences. This was while he was serving a sentence for sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy in North Wales. Parry, formerly of Rhostryfan, near Caernarfon, was jailed for abusing the boy in 2017.

West Yorkshire Police contacted North Wales Police, who tracked down the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Parry was jailed today at Caernarfon Crown Court today for eight years and nine months for rape and sexual assault.

Prosecutor David Mainstone told the court how in 2015 the victim, with other friends, was invited to Parry's home.

He had bought alcohol and cigarettes for them. She got very drunk and had been sick and he told her she could sleep in his bed, Mr Mainstone said. He had claimed the encounter was "consensual".

However at some point he raped and sexually assaulted her, while she was still very drunk "and thinks she must have passed out at some point", leaving her feeling "dirty, ashamed and horrible".

She later found out about his conviction for a sexual assault on a child and was angry and sent him abusive messages about what he had done. He did not reply, Mr Maidstone said.

The court heard he had three convictions for four offences, the most recent in 2024 was for possessing indecent images of children.

In an emotional victim impact statement, she said Parry's actions had a lasting mental health impact on her for years. She said she had no idea what a healthy relationship was after. "After you raped me, I dropped out of life," she said.

Dafydd Roberts, defending, said, the offences happened a long time ago. He had self-reported them as part of his rehabilitation and had pleaded guilty at an early stage.

Judge Nicola Jones said: "In 2015, you were 19 and she was 15. Effectively you were grooming her and other girls, you were giving them cigarettes and alcohol. She was vulnerable and and troubled teenager. On the night you raped her, she was extremely drunk."

The judge said: "She suffered significant trauma as a result of your actions," but added his self-reporting of the crime appeared to be him seeking help "to stop it happening again."

As well as the prions term Parry was issued with an indefinite notification requirement and a restraining order from contacting the victim.
 

Drugs gang was shipping 23kg of cannabis from America to Wales every week​


Parcels intercepted by Border Force were estimated to be worth up to £11.2million​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/crime-gang-shipping-23kg-cannabis-31837393

Credit: Robert Harries, Wales Online Senior Reporter, 17:37, 11 Jun 2025, Updated 17:39, 11 Jun 2025

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/9RMuy

2_RH110625Drugs2.webp

Abubakr Khawar led the crime gang (Image: South Wales Police)

A crime gang based in and around Cardiff imported more than £11m worth of drugs into south Wales. The gang has been convicted following an investigation led by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) for southern Wales.

Eleven people, aged between 24 and 44, were convicted of conspiracy to supply class B drugs and conspiracy to import cannabis after their illegal operation was uncovered. The ROCU investigation found the group - headed up by 28-year-old Abubakr Khawar - sourced wholesale cannabis from America to sell in the UK between November 9, 2022 and December 9, 2024.

The cannabis was shipped over using parcel delivery services and was concealed in vacuum packs, disguised as items such as clothing and toys to avoid detection.

The parcels were then delivered to addresses - overseen by 28-year-old Mohammed Hussain - across south Wales, with recruited individuals paid between £50 and £200 to receive them.

Police estimated the gang was generating daily sales of over £10,000, and importing approximately 23 kilos of cannabis each week. Parcels intercepted by Border Force were estimated to be worth between £7.5 million and £11.2 million.

On December 9, 2024, Tarian, supported by South Wales Police and British Transport Police, executed a number of warrants to arrest those involved.

The following members pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B drugs and conspiracy to import cannabis:

Abubakr Khawar, aged 28, of Riverside, Cardiff, pleaded on March 19, 2025
Daniel Marshall, aged 40, of Treharris, Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded on April 4, 2025
Andrew Pethers, aged 36, of St Melons, Cardiff, pleaded on May 13, 2025
Sophie Jones, aged 32, of Splott, Cardiff, pleaded on May 23, 2025
Kyle Solowyk, aged 29, of Barry, pleaded on May 23, 205
Ceiron Jones, aged 28, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, pleaded on May 1, 2025
Solomon Bertram, aged 36, of Llanishen, Cardiff, pleaded on March 19, 2025

They were all remanded into custody to await a sentencing date.

Mohammed Nurul Hussain, aged 28, of Cardiff, and Abdu Huriara Husain, aged 28, of Leckwith, Cardiff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class B drugs on March 19, 2025, and May 23rd, 2025, respectively.

During a trial for conspiracy to import cannabis, both changed their pleas to guilty on June 5, 2025, and were remanded to prison pending sentencing.

Sean Montgomery, aged 24, of Rumney, Cardiff, and Steven Munroe, aged 44, of Riverside, Cardiff, pleaded not guilty to both offences. Following a trial at Newport Crown Court, they were found guilty of both offences today (June 11).

Sentencing is due to commence on September 10, 2025.

Detective Constable Sean Meyrick, of Tarian ROCU, said: "I welcome the verdicts reached today, and await the outcome of the sentencing hearing. I would like to thank Border Force for their assistance in this investigation, and colleagues at Tarian and our constituent forces.”
 
Last edited:

Paedophile raped boy and sexually assaulted a child on multiple occasions​


Christopher Burden, 35, was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of the offences following a trial​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/paedophile-raped-boy-sexually-assaulted-31820557

Credit: Philip Dewey Court Correspondent for Wales Online, 18:21, 09 Jun 2025
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/1VVNT

5665.webp

Christopher Burden, 35, raped a boy and sexually assaulted a child (Image: South Wales Police)

A paedophile has been imprisoned for 17 years after he raped a boy and committed multiple offences of sexually assaulting a child. The offences came to light after the victims came forwards and testified against the perpetrator in court.

Christopher Burden, 35, was found guilty of a charge of rape and multiple charges of sexually assaulting a boy by touching, following a trial. The defendant, of Heol Maes Eirwg, Trowbridge, Cardiff, was sentenced to a total of 17 years imprisonment.

The hearing took place at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Wednesday, May 28.

Following the hearing, a statement was released by South Wales Police.

Detective constable Simon Hicks said: "I want to commend the victims for their courage in coming forward.

"It has been a traumatic time for everyone involved and I am hopeful the outcome at court brings the victims and their families some comfort which they deserve.”

A spokesperson from the force said it "never underestimates" how difficult it is for survivors of sexual abuse to speak out.

The force said a range of support is available to those who are not ready to contact the police.
 

Predator tried to film himself raping teenager​

Ryan Bonsu, 30, is assessed as posing a 'very high risk' of causing serious harm to females aged 16 to 19​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/predator-tried-film-himself-raping-31840766?
Credit: Jason Evans, Court and Crime Reporter for Wales Online 15:27, 12 Jun 2025
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/Nu9Tk

0_SWEP_JE_RyanBonsuRapeJPG.webp

Ryan Bonsu (Image: South Wales Police)

A man tried to film himself "overpowering" and raping a teenage woman, a court has heard. Police found Ryan Bonsu had also filmed himself having consensual sex with other women without their knowledge or consent.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Bonsu has previous convictions for exposure including exposing himself to staff at a McDonald's drive-thru and masturbating in front of them. A judge said the 30-year-old's "predatory behaviour" had escalated over time, and he said an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public from the risk his poses to females.

The illicit video recordings came to light while Bonsu was in custody and he phoned a friend asking him to remove his computer hard drive from his flat.

The friend checked the contents of the drive and handed the device to the police. Officers were able to identify and trace women in two videos.

In an impact statement from the vicitm of the rape which she read to the court in person the woman said Bonsu had "stripped me of my femininity" and made her feel like an "object".

She said she had been left suffering with post-traumatic distress disorder and flashbacks so intense they leave her struggling to breath, and she said where once she had the confidence to go out and enjoy life she can no longer do that.

The woman said the defendant had stopped her reaching her full potential. She added that she hoped justice would be done and other families will be protected from him.

Ryan Bonsu, of Heol Undeb, Beddau, had previously been convicted at trial of one count of rape and had pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has two previous convictions for four offences of exposure - the first offence involved him exposing his penis and masturbating to staff at a McDonald's drive-thru, and the second involved him masturbating in front of a woman who had gone to his house to see the spare room he had advertised on a house share website.

Abigail Jackson, for Bonsu, said the defendant was an "extremely bright and capable man" whose life had taken "a very different path to the one his family envisaged for him". She said Bonsu had asked her to apologise to his victims, and she said he was truly sorry for everyone who had been affected by his actions.

Judge Shomon Khan said the defendant had engaged "predatory behaviour" which had escalated over time, and he told Bonsu he had "over-powered" his young victim "because of your need for sexual gratification".

The judge said a pre-sentence report had assessed Bonsu as posing a very high risk of serious harm to females in their late teens, and he said given the contents of the report, the facts of the case, and the defendant's previous offending he was bound to make a finding of dangerousness.

Bonsu was given a 14-year extended sentence comprising 10 years in custody followed by a four-year extended licence. He can apply to be released after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he safe to be released.

The defendant was made the subject of a 15-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. As part of the SHPO the defendant is prohibited from having a profile on any dating app or website in any name other than his own unless he registers that name with police.
 
Some stories in brief (all archived)

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/mi2tG

Anybody want to play 'guess the race'...?

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/aYe9G

Disgraceful Son steals £17,000 from Dad's Banking App.

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/7eNYT

Former Welsh Tory MP for Montgomeryshire, Craig Williams, appears in court, accused of cheating by gambling on the date of the 2024 general election.
 
Some Saturday afternoon news bits, all archived:

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/Z1Mrn

'Gategate' or 'The Battle of Cwmparc' finally ends after 100 days, with gates which cut off Cwmparc community from the valleys countryside removed.

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/9pJxC

Zookeeper who cares for 42 penguins to represent Wales at international Miss Earth pageant.

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/ROX9s

Cardiff University 'has no God-given right to exist', bosses say.

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/osczj

Cosmeston Lake campaigners form human chain in protest over aqua park 'tragedy'.

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/MrpPg

and finally... an 'X-rated' request granted for care home's 'Queen' on her 102nd birthday.
 
Some updates to the Alexander Dighton story:

Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/orIIc

Counter-terror police assessed Alexander Dighton a year before attack and found 'no cause for concern'.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/...-terrorist-alexander-dighton-31854237?Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/ZQ3jx

Rant about trans children and Boris Johnson betrays warped mind of radicalised young man who tried to kill police officers.
 
Following up with this: Are Politicians like Alex Davies-Jones MP going to face ever more severe threats from the angry Left, and at what point must we (and the state) say 'enough!'

Not a fan of the woman, but she has been through a lot of unnecessary stress and abuse by these Far Left idiots and I can see her standing down soon (rumours are that she's had a mental breakdown because of the levels of harassment from the Far Left and, if she does stand down and a by-election is called, Pontypridd will become the first Welsh constituency to go to Reform UK).


Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/8WjaY
 

Former teacher Daniel Gravell jailed for raping teenager​


Daniel Gravell, 43, raped his victim at a house in Carmarthen in 2002. He also took pictures of a different woman while she was naked without her knowing​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/live-updates-former-teacher-daniel-31912120
Credit: Robert Harries, Senior Reporter for Wales Online
Archive: https://archive.ph/UxiJv

6_Daniel_GravellJPG.webp

A former restaurant manager and teacher who has the “potential to be a predatory offender” has been jailed after being found guilty of raping a woman in a house in Carmarthen more than 20 years ago.

Daniel Gravell, 43, from Carmarthen, raped the then-19-year-old following a gathering at a property in 2002. She told the sentencing hearing on Monday, June 23, that she had felt shame ever since the incident.

The victim, now in her 40s, read an impact statement from the witness box. She said: “What he did to me is unforgivable and now is the time that he needs to take responsibility for his actions.

"On the night I was raped I was extremely vulnerable. I know I haven’t done anything wrong, but shame is something I continue to feel. I realise how much of my time over the years has been wasted. I’m so angry about how his behaviour has shaped mine since it happened.”

She described how she would see Gravell, and his vehicle, around Carmarthen. “I always found this very difficult and uncomfortable”, having to see his “awful face”.

The victim added: “Informing my family of what happened to me was very difficult. The look on my brother’s face will stay with me forever. What he (Gravell) did to me is unforgivable and now is the time that he needs to take responsibility for his actions.”

The victim admitted that she has “not been the best parent” or the “best wife” over the past few years as she has been dealing with the trauma of the rape case. “Not only has my personal life suffered but also my professional life”.

She concluded by saying: “I feel sad that he has not been able to do the right thing by pleading guilty. I have done the right thing and been open and honest about everything and I now can be at peace with myself.”

Gravell had denied rape but was found guilty by a jury after a two-week trial in Swansea earlier this year. Evidence in the trial heard how he raped his victim in a bed after she had been put there by friends when she felt unwell. The victim had previously left the house to head into town with friends, but then returned home before being sick.

In mitigation, barrister Tom Crowther KC told the judge that the rape happened more than 20 years ago when Gravell was a “very young man”, and not the “mature man he now is”.

As well as the rape he was found guilty of by a jury at the conclusion of his trial, Gravell was also sentenced on Monday for one count of voyeurism, which he pleaded guilty to, relating to an incident in 2021 when he took pictures on his phone of a naked woman that he had slept with at her home. The sex was consensual, the court heard, but he took “explicit” photographs of her without her consent.

Summing up the case, Judge Geraint Walters addressed Gravell in court by saying: “The offence of rape is one that always leaves a scar. There aren’t many people who can simply move on from being raped. It may live in the back of a mind, but it never goes away. It’s a terrible thing to do to another human being.”

The Judge referred to a probation officer’s report which said Gravell has the “potential to be a predatory offender”. He added: “You have shown no remorse whatsoever.”

Judge Walters sentenced Gravell to nine years in prison, made up of an eight-and-a-half sentence for one count of rape and a six-month sentence for one count of voyeurism. Both sentences will be served consecutively. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Gravell was also accused of two other charges of rape, relating to incidents in Carmarthen in 2005 and 2022. A not guilty verdict was returned with regards to the 2022 allegation, while no verdict could be reached in relation to the 2005 incident, with Gravell is set to face a retrial at a date to be confirmed by the court.

Gravell is a former teacher in Swansea and had been managing the Baltic Inn and Restaurant near Pontyates, a short distance from Carmarthen.

(The story also contains a link to today's Court updates in regards to the sentencing)
 

Man plotted for a hitman to murder wife, trial told​


Paul Lewis allegedly gave his neighbour Dominique Saunders £1,500 to pay for a hitman to kill his estranged wife. The pair deny conspiracy to murder​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/man-plotted-hitman-murder-wife-31924400?
Credit: Jason Evans Court and Crime Reporter, 16:32, 24 Jun 2025
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/ILllb

0_MEDIA-WALES-Merthyr-Tydfil-Crown-Court-04.webp

Merthyr Tydfil Law Courts (Image: MEDIA WALES)
A man has gone on trial of accused of plotting with a neighbour to arrange the murder of his estranged wife. Paul Lewis is said to have given Dominique Saunders £1,500 to pay for a contract killer to carry out a hit - though no attack was ever carried out.

Lewis and Saunders deny a count of conspiracy to murder and are on trial at Merthyr Crown Court. In opening statements the prosecution barrister told the jury they would be shown messages exchanged between the men which demonstrated the agreement they had come to.

In their opening statements the defence barristers told the jury Saunders had simply "scammed" his vulnerable neighbour out of £1,500, taking money then jetting off for a holiday in Benidorm.

In brief legal directions to the jury, the judge Mr Justice Nicklin said the alleged offence was the agreement between the men. He told the jurors they had to find both defendants guilty or both defendants not guilty, and they could not find one guilty and the other innocent.

Opening the case for the prosecution William Hughes KC told the jury that Lewis and Joanne Atkinson-Lewis were in a relationship for 16 years before the marriage "deteriorated" and Lewis eventually left the marital home in earlier 2021.

Six weeks later Lewis filed for divorce, and the court heard that aside from a chance encounter in a Port Talbot supermarket in December 2022 the former couple had no face-to-face contact following the split and all communications were conducted via their respective legal representatives.

The barrister said it was the prosecution case that in February and April 2023 Lewis entered into an agreement with his Swansea Marina neighbour Saunders to arrange for someone to carry out the murder of Miss Atkinson-Lewis, and that Lewis paid his co-defendant £1,500 to facilitate it.

He told the jury that Miss Atkinson-Lewis was not, in fact, murdered and said the court would be hearing evidence from her in the form of a statement.

Mr Hughes told jurors they would be shown text messages exchanged between the defendants which the prosecution say is evidence of the agreement they had come to, including messages from Lewis to his upstairs neighbour where he talked about paying him £1,500 "in good faith" and one where is said "I want her out" and another reading "Death becomes her".

He told jurors they would also see evidence of a bank withdrawal made by Lewis and of money subsequently being paid into Saunders' account, and be shown internet searches made by Saunders relating to guns and shooting ranges, and a post code which was of the exact street where Miss Atkinson-Lewis lived at the time.

The barrister Lewis and Saunders subsequently had a falling out with Lewis accusing his neighbour of "scamming him" and saying he had seen his ex-wife on the beach and "she is breathing".

The barrister said the pair then began exchanging derogatory messages with each other with Saunders telling Lewis to "grow a pair of balls" and saying "don't ask me to help again - I'm out".

The court heard that the alleged conspiracy came to light on April 29, 2023, after Lewis' son and his partner went to Lewis' flat following concerns about his welfare.

With his dad's permission the son looked through the defendant's phone and found messages which led him to calling the police.

Meanwhile the partner had gone upstairs to confront Saunders and demand the money be returned, and the court heard Saunders told her he had given it to somebody and couldn't get it back.

In his opening statement for Lewis, defence barrister John Hipkin KC said in the 18 months to two years before April 2023 his client had been struggling with his mental health and been in and out of Swansea's Cefn Coed psychiatric hospital.

He said Lewis was "vulnerable" and was "an ideal target for those who might financially take advantage of him".

He said there was no dispute that his client had paid Saunders £1,500 but asked the jury to consider if somebody who had paid money to arrange for his ex-wife to be killed would subsequently call police to complain that he had been scammed and would make enquiries about taking action in the small claims court to recover the money, both of which he said Lewis had done.

The barrister said whatever Lewis may have thought or intended, the defence will say that Saunders set about scamming Lewis and took the £1,500 then "simply pushed off to Benidorm with the money".

In his opening statement for Saunders, defence barrister John Harrison KC told the jury that a conspiracy requires an agreement and that it is his client's case that there was no agreement of any kind between the two men.

He said all the defendant did was "make some internet searches and go on holiday to Benidorm". The barrister said there was no evidence Saunders knew a hitman or knew how to contact one, and no evidence he had ever supplied the number of a hitman.

The barrister said the defence will argue that the prosecution evidence is "wholly insufficient" and he told the jurors that it would be reasonable for them to conclude, as the co-defendant had come to believe, that Saunders had scammed Lewis out of £1,500.

Paul Lewis, aged 54, and Dominique Saunders, aged 35, both of Fishmarket Quay, Swansea Marina, Swansea deny conspiracy to murder. The trial continues.
 

Woman dies after 14-hour ambulance wait​


A senior coroner has taken the step, for the 'first time in Welsh history', of raising concerns directly with the First Minister​


Link: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/woman-dies-after-14-hour-31923533
Credit: Ruth Mosalski Political Editor, 14:55, 24 Jun 2025, Updated 16:07, 24 Jun 2025
Archive: https://archive.ph/wip/TOPv4

0_Eluned.webp

Wales' First Minister Eluned Morgan (Image: Senedd.TV)

An elderly woman died after falling in a care home, breaking her thigh bone, and having to wait 14 hours for an ambulance.

The coroner who presided over the inquest into the death of 89-year-old Valerie Hill has issued a warning to Wales' First Minister, Eluned Morgan, that numerous warnings from both him and other coroners are not being acted on and "devastating" outcomes are happening because of continued delays with hospital or ambulance delays.

Mrs Hill died in March 2022 at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital following a fall at Ty Bargoed Care Home, run by Merthyr Tydfil council.

Graeme Hughes, senior coroner for the South Wales Central area,, found she "endured" a long lie on the floor of over 14 hours while waiting for an ambulance to attend. His finding was that "it is possible that this long lie exacerbated known medical conditions".

He also found: "It is probable that the lack of risk assessments completed and referrals for Valerie during her time at Ty Bargoed meant appropriate precautions were not taken to prevent further falls. It is possible, due to long ambulance handover times across Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board and inadequate systems in place to effectively manage patient flow, that this contributed to the long lie."

The coroner has written to Mrs Morgan with his concerns and warned that without action, there is a risk that future deaths will occur.

He detailed the "numerous" times Mrs Morgan has received warnings from both himself and other coroners "highlighting the devastating outcomes attributable to delays in conveying acutely unwell patients to hospital/ambulance handover delays".

"Those risks continue and are of acute concern to myself and my coronial colleagues throughout Wales," he wrote in the conclusion.

He detailed how in February 2022, when she was health minister, she wrote to the chairs of all Wales' health boards and said: "The volumes of people waiting excessive periods for transfer from ambulance vehicles to the care of staff in Emergency Departments, in particular, has reached intolerable levels.... I am concerned about the level of tolerance to such delays a require you to take greater ownership of this issue as a priority.... The current situation cannot continue".

When NHS deputy chief executive Nick Wood gave evidence at the inquest of Mrs Hill he said Cwm Taf had been in the "targeted intervention" measures for two and a half years and he hadn’t seen significant improvement in relation to 15-minute or one-hour handovers.

When the coroner asked Mr Wood if another situation like that Mrs Hill faced could happen again "he accepted that that was a fair conclusion and that the same risks remain in the system," Mr Hughes wrote.

The senior coroner wrote in his report: "In the the three years since Valerie’s death you have received multiple prevention of future death reports from myself and fellow coroners in Wales highlighting the devastating outcomes attributable to delays in conveying acutely unwell patients to hospital/ambulance handover delays. Those risks continue and are of acute concern to myself and my coronial colleagues throughout Wales."

He goes on to say that while Welsh Government has allowed some relaxation in terms of handover delays or timings the Welsh Ambulance Service "continues to adopt the 15-minute handover expectation/assumption" when drawing up rotas "yet I received evidence that hospitals across Wales are only delivering this expectation around 10-20% of the time".

"My concern is that this disconnect is having a significant effect upon how the system for conveying acutely ill patients in the community to hospital is operating and changes are indicated to address this system dysfunctionality," he wrote.

The coroner detailed how in February 2022 chief executive of NHS Wales Judith Paget wrote to Mrs Morgan, when she was health minister, saying "the prevalence and extent of such delays has become beyond intolerable and is leading to many acutely unwell patients in the community waiting for such prolonged periods for emergency care, dying directly and indirectly as a consequence".

The health minister had responded to a previous prevention of future deaths report saying she had been "explicitly clear" she expected health boards to improve timeliness of ambulance patient handover. However the coroner said his concern was there had not been any "discernible improvement in ambulance handover delays".

He also said a review of the escalation level of government intervention at Cwm Taf and in other health boards should now be considered.

The issue was raised in Tuesday's full session of the Senedd to the First Minister.

Conservative group leader Darren Millar said 25 such reports had been issued since she became First Minister on August 6 last year. "Of those 25, five were directly linked to ambulance delays.

"They should have triggered an urgent response by your government to improve performance and prevent further unnecessary deaths."

She was asked what action had been taken. Mrs Morgan said they had taken the reports seriously.

"What you will know is there has been a huge amount of work done to try and move forward with a programme of how we can speed up that response," she said.

"The health secretary has been pressing the Welsh Ambulance Service hard and invested this week more in ambulances to support that work. We know there's more work to do but there's examples across the whole country where things are improving."

She said "part" of the problem was delayed transfers in care and her Welsh Government had issued money in care. "If you want to fix the NHS you have to fix care," she added.

Mr Millar said the plan to reduce ambulance handover delays "wasn't working" and Mr Hughes had written to her directly in "the first [instance] of its kind in Welsh history".

Mr Millar said a "health emergency" should be declared.

It was also brought up with the First Minister by Plaid Cymru MS Heledd Fychan. The First Minister said the recommendations of a taskforce about patient handover would be put in place and £30m would be used to help reduce delayed hospital discharges.

She said from July the ambulance service is going to change its diagnosis process including a rapid screening of 999 calls.
 
Back
Top Bottom