The killers, con artists, sick monsters and other criminals locked up in May

More than 60 criminals have been locked up in the past month for some of the most serious crimes in Wales. Every month we document some of the worst crimes that have been committed.

In May 2024, they included an intoxicated driver who struck and killed a young boy who was with friends out the local supermarket. Harley Whiteman initially fled the scene but came back and tried to stop members of the public who were trying to help 13-year-old Kaylan Hippsley. The teenager never regained consciousness and died in hospital the next day.

There was also the high profile case of the couple who ran up large bills at various restaurants and then left without paying. They were caught after one restaurant posted their pictures online and it went viral. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here^[1].

Once again, there are a large number of men who have been jailed for attacks on their partners, or ex-partners. Daniel Popescu tried to murder the mother of his unborn baby, stabbing her five times.

Cee-jai Sharpe subjected a former girlfriend to a series of lurid and violent threats over the phone^[2] after their six-week relationship ended.

Here are the criminals and their crimes:

Harley Whiteman

(Image: South Wales Police)

The family of a teenager killed by an intoxicated driver have described his killer’s short sentence “absolutely disgusting” and say it is an “insult” to the 13-year-old’s memory. Kaylan Hippsley was struck and killed by a Ford Fiesta driven by Whiteman, 19, on Brecon^[3] Road, Hirwaun^[4], at around 6.15pm on February 29, as he was standing on a pavement outside a Co-op store with his friends.

He never regained consciousness despite the best efforts of those at the scene as the defendant drove off at speed. A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court described how Whiteman left the scene of the crash before returning and attempting to stop members of the public helping Kaylan. Read the outrage here.^[5][6]

Bernard McDonagh and Ann McDonagh

(Image: South Wales Police)

The couple who ran up large bills in restaurants then made off without paying have been jailed.^[7] Bernard McDonagh and Ann McDonagh targeted five restaurants across Swansea^[8], Neath, Port Talbot^[9] and Porthcawl^[10] in a spree of so called “dine and dash” incidents.

In total the couple, from Sandfields in Port Talbot, ate food worth more than £1,000 from the establishments before walking away. They were identified after CCTV images were posted online by frustrated business owners. See the moment they were arrested here.^[11]

Katherine Hill

(Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE)

The “thoroughly dishonest” mother who stole her daughters’ £50,000 inheritance has been jailed for 30 months^[12]. A judge said the 53-year-old former bank employee’s actions had been driven by spite towards her children and that she had used the money as a weapon against the girls.

Katherine Hill’s daughters had been left the cash by their grandmother which was to be held in trust until they turned 25 but the defendant plundered the bank account with the help of her elderly father Gerald who she recruited to be her “patsy” in the fraud.

Daniel Popescu

(Image: South Wales Police)

He tried to murder the mother of his unborn child and will serve up to 17 years and four months in jail.^[13] Popescu armed himself with a large knife and stabbed the woman at least five times before a passer-by’s screams caused him to flee.

Armed police attended the scene at Coronation Place in Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, following the stabbing at around 9.10am on December 5 last year. Nearby schools and community centres were locked down for hours as police launched a manhunt, which resulted in the arrest of Popescu, a 29-year-old of no fixed address. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and stalking.

Michael Stannard

(Image: South Wales Police)

He throttled his new partner, trashed her flat and broke her phone^[14] in what a judge labelled “outrageous” behaviour. Stannard’s victim had to flee the situation after he squeezed the woman’s throat with such force she struggled to breathe.

Sending the father-of-three to prison, a judge at Swansea Crown Court^[15] told him he had behaved in an “outrageous way” towards the woman. And he said the courts always regarded the act of strangulation as serious because of the inherent dangers in one person taking another by the throat.

Christopher Mario Welke

(Image: South Wales Police)

The drug dealer was caught with boxes containing thousands of pills just weeks after getting out of prison^[16] where he had been serving a sentence for previous dealing. Welke ran off after police saw him carrying out a suspected drugs deal outside Neath railway station but was found hiding in a yard behind a nearby Wetherspoons pub.

Swansea Crown Court^[17] heard that less than two months before behind found with the haul of tablets the defendant had been released on licence part-way through a custodial sentence for selling Valium in a town centre park. The court heard Welke has more than 200 previous offences on his record

Jamie Davidge

Jamie Davidge, 48, assault a friend by pushing him down the stairs following a drunken argument in Abercynon (Image: South Wales Police)

He pushed his friend down the stairs^[18] of the supported living accommodation where they lived following a drunken argument on his birthday. He left the victim with a black eye and was discovered after the assault was captured on CCTV.

Davidge, 48, had been drinking with Richard Jones at the flats in Abercynon where they lived on March 2. A support worker at the accommodation witnessed the defendant and the victim arguing and acting aggressively and threatening each other.

David Smith

(Image: South Wales Police)

The wholesale drug dealer was found with numerous firearms including sawn-off shotguns^[19] as well as cocaine and a synthetic opioid 100 times more powerful than heroin. He attempted to flee from officers who discovered his stash in a shipping container.

Smith, 35, was arrested following a raid on his shopping container in Tonypandy^[20] on January 19. When police arrived at the container a stolen Ford EcoSport was seen trying to escape from an embankment but rolled backwards.

Craig Aaroyo

(Image: South Wales Police)

He dragged a drunk and incapacitated woman “like a ragdoll” into his flat for sex, a court has heard^[21]. The victim had become separated from her partner during a night out on Swansea’s Wind Street before Aaroyo took her back to his nearby apartment.

Swansea Crown Court^[22] heard the woman was subsequently reported missing by her worried partner and that it wasn’t until later that morning that she was able to call him. Sending 44-year-old defendant down for kidnap a judge said he had no doubt Aaroyo had an “ulterior motive” in taking the highly intoxicated woman back to his flat but

Alastair and Alexanda Fetch

The drug dealing brothers repeatedly beat a customer with metal bars in a “savage” assault in the street.^[23] The victim suffered cuts to his head in the attack and was bleeding profusely from the wounds when police found him slumped over a parked car.

When police subsequently searched the house where Alastair and Alexanda Fetch lived they found thousands of pounds in cash and £5,000 worth of cocaine. Sending the siblings to prison a judge at Swansea Crown Court^[24] said they were running a “family business” of drug dealing and said it was clear they were prepared to use violence to “defend and enforce” their operation.

Phillip Bowler

(Image: South Wales Police)

He tried to bribe and pressurise a schoolgirl into having sex with him by offering her money and vapes^[25]. Bowler told the girl the conversation would be “our little secret” and threatened to kill himself if the police became involved.

At the time of the offending the defendant was on a suspended sentence for his part in a massive PPI call centre fraud and was subject to a post custodial licence having served a sentence for dangerous driving – this offence saw him lead police on a chase through Swansea city centre and then claim he had had been spooked by the cop car’s flashing blue lights because it was Halloween.

Elwyn Downing

(Image: Dyfed-powys Police)

He bought a Glock semi-automatic pistol and bullets from America after turning to the dark web. However the parcel was intercepted en route and law enforcement agencies^[26] arranged for a decoy parcel to be delivered to his west Wales home containing a bugging device designed to gather evidence.

Sending gun-buyer Elwyn Downing to prison, a judge said a weapon such as a Glock with ammunition only had one purpose, and that was in “the furtherance of serious crime”. He said had the gun and ammunition got into the hands of criminal gangs the consequences could have been very serious, and he described the purchase as “sinister”.

Abrahim Hatim

(Image: South Wales Police)

A man who was described by a judge as being “off his face” lit a fire in his flat to “keep warm” which resulted in the entire block being evacuated. Neighbours called the emergency services after seeing “plumes of grey smoke” coming from his door.

Abrahim Hatim, 56, set fire to pieces of paper inside his Cardiff^[27] flat in the early hours of New Year’s Day after terrorising his neighbours by shouting and swearing. His erratic and alcohol-fueled behaviour caused alarm to those in the flats, at Ely Road, Llandaff^[28], with the police being called three times.

Lisa Amass, Ryan Huxtable and Thomas Norman

(Image: South Wales Police)

A judge has said that a “plague” of drugs has turned Neath town centre into a “no-go area” for many people. The judge made his comments as he jailed these three for a cocaine dealing operation masterminded by a mystery man known only as “P” which was shipping the Class A drug from Birmingham to the Welsh town.^[29]

Amass, Huxtable, and Norman were supplying cocaine to users via a drugs line known as the “Pinky line” which was named after the nickname of the woman who was controlling the phone. Sending the trio down a judge told them people like them were prepared to destroy lives in order to fund their own drug addictions.

Dion Hallett

(Image: South Wales Police)

The dangerous driver reached speeds of up to 90mph in a police chase that lasted almost half an hour. During the chase, he drove on the wrong side of the road and took roundabouts the wrong way.^[30]

Hallett, 30, was seen driving an Audi erratically on the A4110 in Williamstown in the Rhondda^[31], on February 20. He was seen by police officers on patrol, who had to drive up to 100mph in order to catch the defendant.

Damien Luce

(Image: Gwent Police)

The car of the driver who led police on a chase at speed later exploded and was seen rolling down a hill on fire.^[32] He refused to stop for officers during the chase, and later asked them how they knew he was the driver.

Luce, 26, was seen driving a Ford Fiesta in Cwmbran on March 23 by an officer driving in an unmarked police car. The driver attempted to hide his face from the officer as they passed and he had three passengers in the car.

Brian Doye

(Image: South Wales Police)

The former senior firefighter carried out campaigns of rapes and sexual abuse against children in a reign of terror^[33] lasting almost five decades, a court has heard. Brian Doye abused and assaulted three separate victims while manipulating those around him and living the life of a respectable man.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court^[34] said it was clear 77-year-old Doye was an “entrenched paedophile” and a danger to children, and she said it was a testament to the strength of the victims that they had survived his destruction of their childhoods. The defendant was given a 30-year sentence as an offender of particular concern.

John Inker

(Image: Gwent Police)

The drug dealer was found in possession of up to £700 worth of heroin^[35] after police executed a warrant at a house in Newport^[36]. Messages were also found on his phone which were consistent with drug dealing.

The 32-year-old, was arrested by police at an address in Maesglas Road on April 8. A quantity of wraps containing white powder was discovered along with £360 in cash and a small bag of cannabis.

Lee Price

(Image: Gwent Police)

The drug driver was high on cocaine^[37] when he was chased by police in what was suspected to be a stolen car. He refused to pull over and the car tires had to be punctured by a stinger.

Lee Price, 21, was spotted by police while driving along the A467 Abercarn, Caerphilly^[38], shortly after midnight on October 24 last year. The silver Ford Ecosport was believed to be stolen so an officer in an unmarked car began following the defendant.

Shaizan Sidik

(Image: South Wales Police)

The drug dealer was found in possession of heroin and crack cocaine hidden behind a microwave in his father-in-law’s house.^[39] He claimed he was acting under pressure because he owed money to dealers upstream.

Sidik, 45, was arrested by police on February 17 after a raid was executed at an address in Cardiff^[40]. He was seen attempting to leave via the back door but was detained.

Gareth Nye

(Image: South Wales Police)

The paedophile sexually assaulted a girl twice and sent her inappropriate messages saying “I wish I was the one who captured your heart”. The abuse came to light after the victim showed the messages to her mother.

Nye, 32, of, Bridgend, abused his victim on at least two occasions by touching her over her clothing. He did this on the pretense he was tickling the girl. Read his sentencing here.^[41][42]

Steph Bruton

(Image: South Wales Police)

The burglar broke into a house and stole a bicycle which had been a gift to a schoolgirl from her late grandmother.^[43] The girl’s mother said nobody could understand the upset caused by a burglary until they had experienced it for themselves and said she would never feel fully safe in her home again.

Swansea Crown Court^[44] heard Bruton has six previous convictions for burglary on his record and has served a number of lengthy prison sentences. A judge described the 33-year-old as a “professional but not very successful burglar”.

Alex McKenzie

(Image: Gwent Police)

The drug dealer was found in possession of cocaine text customers saying he was able to double his investment and described his wares as “banging stuff”. He began dealing in order to fund his own addiction to cocaine and ketamine.

The 23-year-old was raided by police at his home in Abergavenny on April 7 last year. A search of the house resulted in the discovery of a knuckleduster, two mobile phones, digital scales containing traces of drugs, adulterants, several SIM cards, £600 in cash and two snap bags containing 0.4g of cocaine worth £40.^[45][46]

Lewis Parsons

(Image: South Wales Police)

A man who was glassed in a club and left with lacerations to his face said he “never thought one night could affect my life in such a dramatic way”^[47]. He received staples and stitches to the injuries on his head, as well as sustaining a broken nose.

Parsons, 31, attacked Aarron Leyshon at Proud Mary in Cardiff^[48] city centre at around 11.30pm on September 29 last year. Footage of the assault was played to a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court^[49] on Wednesday which showed the defendant lashing out with the victim in a crowded bar.

David Parsons and Jordan Chapman

(Image: South Wales Police)

The two balaclava-wearing thugs on bicycles attacked a man walking to meet friends and tried to rob him of his phone. When Parsons and Chapman were tracked down thanks to eagle-eyed CCTV operators police recovered a knife with a 20cm-long blade from a backpack.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the attempted robbery happened in Cardiff city centre on the night of March 1 this year as the victim was walking along the pedestrianised Barrack Lane near Cardiff’s St David’s shopping centre on his way to meet friends. Read the sentencing here.^[50][51]

Cee-jai Sharpe

(Image: South Wales Police)

He subjected a former girlfriend to a series of lurid and violent threats over the phone^[52] after their six-week relationship ended. During one of the menacing calls Sharpe played the sound of a child’s crying doll down the phone then laughed at his victim.

The 24-year-old’s advocate told Swansea Crown Court^[53] that the defendant was remorseful for his actions towards the woman, and acknowledged he had a problem with drink and drugs. The court heard the probation service was not able to recommend any alternative to immediate custody and had concluded that the defendant would need to be subject to stringent licence conditions upon his release from prison in order to properly manage him in the community.

Ethan Smith

(Image: South Wales Police)

The “greedy” businessman made £300,000 selling illegal vapes from his shops^[54]. Many of the unlawful vapes – which were being sold in flavours including – sour apple, peach-mango, and grape – had much higher nicotine levels than allowed by law, and contained large tanks of liquid that permitted.

Smith continued to sell the unlawful vapes from his shops in Swansea^[55] and Llanelli^[56] even after a warning from trading standards officers and then while on bail after being charged and appearing in court. The 27-year-old’s barrister said the defendant was remorseful for continuing to trade – and for the abusive way he spoke to council officers and police officers.

Anthony Wyatt

(Image: South Wales Police)

The drug runner^[57] was caught with an ounce of heroin and an ounce of ketamine after travelling from Liverpool to south Wales. He was also found in possession of MDMA tablets.

Wyatt, 59, was stopped near junction 36 on the M4^[58] near Bridgend^[59] on March 25 last year in a Jaguar XF, and there was a woman in the passenger seat. In the footwell there was an aftershave box that was found to contain an ounce of heroin and an ounce of ketamine.

Adrian Russell Coxon

(Image: South Wales Police)

He sexually assaulted a woman leaving his victim feeling at “rock bottom” and wanting to kill herself. He arrogantly denied the offences and claimed a jury only convicted him because they were “confused”.

The 28-year-old, of Bridgend, sexually assaulted his victim twice while she was asleep and had been drinking alcohol. She woke up to the defendant sexually assaulting her. Read his sentencing here.^[60][61]

Phillip Thompson

(Image: South Wales Police)

The prolific burglar mocked his girlfriend for being scared of him, sent her a message saying “I’m going to f****** stab you” and strangled her in a hotel room until she passed out, a court heard.^[62] Thompson, 35, had known his victim for around 20 years by the time they started a relationship.

In September 2022 his partner was due to travel to Manchester with her brother for the day, something which Thompson, of Pine Court, Tongwynlais, Cardiff, was not in favour of. He told her what would happen to her if she did travel to Manchester and even threatened to “smash her house up”. After being told to leave, Thompson grabbed his victim around the neck and pushed her. He then made her give him a lift to work where he taunted her about how scared she was.

Marc Morgan

(Image: Gwent Police)

The drink-driver aggressively rammed a woman’s car after he passed through a red light and later sped away from police on the motorway.^[63] The victim and her daughter were shocked by the driver’s actions and could be heard saying: “What the f***?”.

Morgan, 56, came to an impasse after he and his victim’s vehicles came nose to nose in Risca^[64], Caerphilly^[65], on January 28. The defendant was in the wrong having skipped a red light but he refused to move.

Mark Horrell

(Image: Gwent Police)

The drug dealer was found in possession of cocaine and amphetamine was discovered with various amounts of cash totaling £199k^[66]. He was stopped by police in his car at McDonald’s with his partner and her son.

Horrell, 42, was pulled over by officers in Caerphilly^[67] on February 13 last year after he was suspected of being involved in drug offences. As he was being searched, he asked to speak to an officer outside of his partner’s hearing and said he had collected an amount of cash, but would not disclose who it belonged to.

Andrew Flecknell

(Image: Gwent Police)

A “funny, caring, loving and smart” child was raped by the paedophile whose sexually abusive behaviour was described as a judge as being “about as bad as it gets”. The victim disclosed the abuse to her mother after receiving a sex education lesson in school^[68].

Flecknell, 38, of Caerphilly, carried out a “campaign of rape” against his victim, who was just six-years-old when the abuse began. The defendant had repeatedly raped the child, had sexually assaulted. Read his sentencing here.^[69][70]

Matthew Cheshire

Matthew Cheshire, 35, of Bridgend, sent videos of himself masturbating to a 13-year-old girl (Image: South Wales Police)

The paedophile sent disgusting videos and messages to a 13-year-old girl and threatened to disclose naked images of her if she did not send him more. He was also speaking to an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl.

Cheshire, 35, of Bridgend, was arrested by police at his home on October 5 last year where a number of electronic devices were seized and examined. The defendant had been in contact with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl, but was in fact a decoy account run by a police officer. Read his sentencing here.^[71][72]

Gavin Thomas

(Image: South Wales Police)

The grandson got close up to his grandmother’s face and ripped her pocket to steal £60^[73] which she refused to give him out of concern he was going to buy drugs. He later said to his grandfather “Are you going to drop it Gramp?”

Thomas, 37, had been staying with his grandparents at their home in Caerau, Maesteg^[74], and continually pestered them for money. He asked his grandmother for £40 in cash, but two days later he demanded more money from her.

Daniel Meades

(Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)

The van driver who led police on a late night pursuit along dark wet streets was so “high” on drugs he cannot remember what happened that night^[75]. When Meades was eventually caught by officers he had to be Tasered so he could be arrested.

The dad-of-three’s barrister told Swansea Crown Court^[76] the case highlights the “unintended consequences” of taking Class A drugs. Sending the defendant down, a judge told him he had put the safety of other road users at risk with his behaviour.

Joseph Mayer and Ethan Jones

J (Image: Gwent Police)

A heat-seeking drone caught a burglar who was hiding from officers by a river^[77]. Mayer was part of a gang of masked men which smashed their way into a house at night but were spotted by a passer-by who alerted the police.

Mayer and fellow burglar Jones were “recruited” to take part in the raid which has so traumatised the homeowner that he has since sold the property and moved away. Swansea Crown Court^[78] heard both defendants are so-called third-strike burglars.

Mohamed Ahmed

(Image: South Wales Police)

The bouncer repeatedly jabbed a man in the face and knocked out his teeth^[79] during an assault at a Cardiff^[80] nightclub. The victim has spent thousands of pounds on dental work following the attack and has issues eating.

Ahmed, 27, was working as a member of door staff at the Revolution nightclub in Cardiff city centre in the early hours of November 13, 2022. Lui Hewlett had attended the club with his friends, and a scuffle had broken out on the dancefloor.

Adam John

(Image: South Wales Police)

The paedophile raped a teenage boy and forcefully kissed a young girl against her will. He was heavily intoxicated when he carried out the sexual offences and had to be pava sprayed by police when arrested, a court heard.^[81]

John, 31, of Pontypridd^[82], left his victims a shell of their previous selves after sexually assaulting them. He claimed he had no recollection of the abuse due to his drunken state.

David Pritchard

(Image: South Wales Police)

The drug taker who crashed a stolen van while under the influence of Valium and amphetamine turned to drugs after being arrested following his girlfriend’s death. He had to be pulled out of the van by police due to being a drug-induced stupor.

Pritchard, 34, stole a Ford Transit belonging to Corie McShane in Aberaman, near Aberdare, on November 15 last year. He then drove into Aberdare town centre before crashing the vehicle. Read his sentencing here.^[83][84][85]

Christopher Price

(Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)

The “overindulged” man with a history of assaulting police officers^[86] has been sent down for what a judge called “disgraceful” behaviour at a hospital.

Price kicked, threatened and verbally abused officers who had taken him to A&E because of concerns about his welfare, with some of the incident being played out in front of patients including children.

Sean Tantram

(Image: South Wales Police)

The drunken man headbutted a police officer^[87] after he had been placed in handcuffs. The officer was left uninjured but shaken by the incident.

Tantrum, 43, assaulted the officer in Tonypandy on February 4 after a call to the emergency services had been made. PC Robert Knight described the defendant as “erratic and intoxicated” as he tried to escort him away.

Logan Adams, Luke Cable and Devon Evans

(Image: Gwent Police)

A group of young drug dealers were found to be supplying cocaine and cannabis after their phones were seized in a number of police raids. One of them was also found in possession of more than 240g of cocaine hidden under floorboards.

Adams, 20, Cable, 23, Evans, 22, and Macauley Thomas, 26, were all discovered to have been involved in drug dealing after police conducted raids at properties in Bargoed, Caerphilly, on February 28 last year. In Thomas’ flat, a total of 136g of cannabis was found and an iPhone was seized.

Andrew Phillips

Andrew Phillips, 57, exposed his penis and bottom to a young girl and her father outside Cardiff Castle (Image: South Wales Police)

He exposed his penis and bottom to a young girl and her father while wearing a dress outside Cardiff Castle. After initially avoiding prison for the offence, he was jailed for breaching a suspended sentence order for smashing a window at a pub.^[91][92]

Phillips, 57, left his victim traumatised as her father attempted to block her view. The defendant was sitting on a grassy area outside the castle on August 1 last year with two others when the father and daughter passed by. He was wearing a knee-length pink dress which had been hitched up to expose his bottom

Anthony Lewis

(Image: South Wales Police)

The man who raped a woman and then went on to sexually abuse a young girl has been jailed for 12 years and six months^[93]. The rape victim said no court sentence could heal the hurt she had suffered.

In a statement read to Cardiff Crown Court^[94] the woman raped by 40-year-old Lewis said he had preyed on her during a vulnerable time in her life and that after going through what she did she is determined to help others “to face their abusers and find a voice”.

Lewis Addis

(Image: South Wales Police)

He repeatedly punched a person in the face leaving the victim with a suspected broken cheek ended up in the same prison^[95] as the person he assaulted. Addis attacked two people in a matter of days in two unrelated incidents, cutting one of his victims with a knife.

Swansea Crown Court^[96] heard Addis is currently doing an art education course in prison which he is enjoying and which he finds greatly assists with his mental health. Sending the 32-year-old defendant down a judge said he had an “unenviable record” for violence but it was plain he was trying to “pull himself up by his bootstraps” while in custody.

Ieuan Bartlett

(Image: South Wales Police)

The teacher and welfare officer had sex with a vulnerable teenager and coerced her into sending sexual photographs of herself after taking advantage of her. He began a sexual relationship with the girl while working as a welfare officer.

Bartlett, 29, was responsible for supporting children with personal issues as a welfare officer at the high school where he worked. He would provide one-to-one support to pupils in a room which was designed for private and confidential meetings, which he took advantage of. Read his sentencing here.^[97][98]

Suroj Bk

(Image: Dyfed-Powys Police)

He crept into a woman’s house in the dead of night and sexually assaulted her as she slept in her bed next to her boyfriend. Bk at first denied being in the property at all but later claimed the allegation was some kind of fantasy on the part of the victim.

Sending the 27-year-old defendant to prison, a judge said he was aware there were people who knew Bk and who did not believe the incident had taken place – he said those people were “either totally blinkered or incredibly gullible”. The victim of the sexual assault has life-long legal anonymity. Read his sentencing here.^[99]

Bery Shquti and Pellumb Deda

(Image: South Wales Police)

The two men who were living in the UK illegally have been jailed after police discovered 240 plants with a potential street value of thousands of pounds at a house.^[100]

Police officers attended an address in St James Gardens in the Uplands area of Swansea on April 12 this year. After making their way into the rear of the property they discovered 240 cannabis plants in various stages of growth along with relevant equipment for the production of cannabis.

Craig Botterill

(Image: South Wales Police)

A child has told how a man she trusted “turned out to be my worst nightmare”. Her attacker Botterill, a 32-year-old from Baglan in Neath Port Talbot, was found guilty in court of sexual assault, sexual assault by penetration, and rape of a child. Police said he was dangerous and caused an unimaginable level of damage to his victim, both physically and mentally. Read his sentencing here.^[101][102]

Erkan Karadogan

(Image: South Wales Police)

The paedophile attempted to rape a girl when she was just three years old. He then went on to rape her when she was older.

Karadogan, 52, of Cardiff, also sexually abused his victim before later sexually assaulting another young girl and an elderly lady. At a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court the defendant was described by Judge Simon Mills as a “frightening sexual predator” and a “selfish abusive bully”. Read his sentencing here.^{[103][104][105]}

Robert Johnson

(Image: South Wales Police)

He sexually groomed a young girl and made her watch a homemade pornographic film of himself. Johnson also sexually abused the child then told her not to tell anyone about what he had done.

The 45-year-old from Port Talbot denied the offences saying the allegations against him were made up but he was convicted at trial at Swansea Crown Court. In a statement read to the court the victim described the devastating emotional and psychological impact of the abuse. Police have praised the bravery of the female in coming forward. Read his sentencing here.^{[106][107][108]}

David Owen

(Image: Gwent Police)

The truck driver shared a video of a five-year-old child being raped and built up a vile collection of images showing child, horse and dog abuse. Owen, from Caerphilly^[109], claimed the online activity started with him seeking a partner for swinging but ended up “snowballing” into fantasies of baby rape.

Prosecutor Alex Greenwood told Cardiff Crown Court that police raided the 41-year-old’s home at 5.02am on December 20, 2022, and found him inside with his then-partner. When officers explained they had received information about Owen’s internet activity, he admitted he had images of bestiality involving a horse but claimed the material had “nothing to do with children”. Read his sentencing here.^[110][111]

References

1. ^{^} For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here (www.walesonline.co.uk)
2. ^{^} series of lurid and violent threats over the phone (www.walesonline.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Brecon (www.walesonline.co.uk)
4. ^{^} Hirwaun (www.walesonline.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
6. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
7. ^{^} without paying have been jailed. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
8. ^{^} Swansea (www.walesonline.co.uk)
9. ^{^} Port Talbot (www.walesonline.co.uk)
10. ^{^} Porthcawl (www.walesonline.co.uk)
11. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
12. ^{^} been jailed for 30 months (www.walesonline.co.uk)
13. ^{^} serve up to 17 years and four months in jail. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
14. ^{^} throttled his new partner, trashed her flat and broke her phone (www.walesonline.co.uk)
15. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
16. ^{^} just weeks after getting out of prison (www.walesonline.co.uk)
17. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
18. ^{^} pushed his friend down the stairs (www.walesonline.co.uk)
19. ^{^} numerous firearms including sawn-off shotguns (www.walesonline.co.uk)
20. ^{^} Tonypandy (www.walesonline.co.uk)
21. ^{^} a court has heard (www.walesonline.co.uk)
22. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
23. ^{^} savage” assault in the street. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
24. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
25. ^{^} offering her money and vapes (www.walesonline.co.uk)
26. ^{^} intercepted en route and law enforcement agencies (www.walesonline.co.uk)
27. ^{^} Cardiff (www.walesonline.co.uk)
28. ^{^} Llandaff (www.walesonline.co.uk)
29. ^{^} shipping the Class A drug from Birmingham to the Welsh town. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
30. ^{^} took roundabouts the wrong way. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
31. ^{^} Rhondda (www.walesonline.co.uk)
32. ^{^} seen rolling down a hill on fire. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
33. ^{^} reign of terror (www.walesonline.co.uk)
34. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
35. ^{^} found in possession of up to £700 worth of heroin (www.walesonline.co.uk)
36. ^{^} Newport (www.walesonline.co.uk)
37. ^{^} high on cocaine (www.walesonline.co.uk)
38. ^{^} Caerphilly (www.walesonline.co.uk)
39. ^{^} hidden behind a microwave in his father-in-law’s house. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
40. ^{^} Cardiff (www.walesonline.co.uk)
41. ^{^} Bridgend (www.walesonline.co.uk)
42. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
43. ^{^} gift to a schoolgirl from her late grandmother. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
44. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
45. ^{^} Abergavenny (www.walesonline.co.uk)
46. ^{^} £600 in cash and two snap bags containing 0.4g of cocaine worth £40. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
47. ^{^} he “never thought one night could affect my life in such a dramatic way” (www.walesonline.co.uk)
48. ^{^} Cardiff (www.walesonline.co.uk)
49. ^{^} Cardiff Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
50. ^{^} Cardiff Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
51. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
52. ^{^} series of lurid and violent threats over the phone (www.walesonline.co.uk)
53. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
54. ^{^} made £300,000 selling illegal vapes from his shops (www.walesonline.co.uk)
55. ^{^} Swansea (www.walesonline.co.uk)
56. ^{^} Llanelli (www.walesonline.co.uk)
57. ^{^} drug runner (www.walesonline.co.uk)
58. ^{^} the M4 (www.walesonline.co.uk)
59. ^{^} Bridgend (www.walesonline.co.uk)
60. ^{^} Bridgend (www.walesonline.co.uk)
61. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
62. ^{^} , a court heard. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
63. ^{^} sped away from police on the motorway. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
64. ^{^} Risca (www.walesonline.co.uk)
65. ^{^} Caerphilly (www.walesonline.co.uk)
66. ^{^} totaling £199k (www.walesonline.co.uk)
67. ^{^} Caerphilly (www.walesonline.co.uk)
68. ^{^} school (www.walesonline.co.uk)
69. ^{^} Caerphilly (www.walesonline.co.uk)
70. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
71. ^{^} Bridgend (www.walesonline.co.uk)
72. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
73. ^{^} got close up to his grandmother’s face and ripped her pocket to steal £60 (www.walesonline.co.uk)
74. ^{^} Maesteg (www.walesonline.co.uk)
75. ^{^} cannot remember what happened that night (www.walesonline.co.uk)
76. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
77. ^{^} ho was hiding from officers by a river (www.walesonline.co.uk)
78. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
79. ^{^} knocked out his teeth (www.walesonline.co.uk)
80. ^{^} Cardiff (www.walesonline.co.uk)
81. ^{^} a court heard. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
82. ^{^} Pontypridd (www.walesonline.co.uk)
83. ^{^} Aberaman (www.walesonline.co.uk)
84. ^{^} Aberdare (www.walesonline.co.uk)
85. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
86. ^{^} history of assaulting police officers (www.walesonline.co.uk)
87. ^{^} eadbutted a police officer (www.walesonline.co.uk)
88. ^{^} Bargoed (www.walesonline.co.uk)
89. ^{^} Caerphilly (www.walesonline.co.uk)
90. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
91. ^{^} Cardiff Castle (www.walesonline.co.uk)
92. ^{^} jailed for breaching a suspended sentence order for smashing a window at a pub. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
93. ^{^} been jailed for 12 years and six months (www.walesonline.co.uk)
94. ^{^} Cardiff Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
95. ^{^} suspected broken cheek ended up in the same prison (www.walesonline.co.uk)
96. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
97. ^{^} school (www.walesonline.co.uk)
98. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
99. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
100. ^{^} police discovered 240 plants with a potential street value of thousands of pounds at a house. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
101. ^{^} Neath Port Talbot (www.walesonline.co.uk)
102. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
103. ^{^} Cardiff (www.walesonline.co.uk)
104. ^{^} Cardiff Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
105. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
106. ^{^} Port Talbot (www.walesonline.co.uk)
107. ^{^} Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
108. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)
109. ^{^} Caerphilly (www.walesonline.co.uk)
110. ^{^} Cardiff Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
111. ^{^} here. (www.walesonline.co.uk)