The west Wales criminals sent to prison in September
The nine defendants were accused of offences including domestic violence, drug trafficking, dangerous driving, affray, breaching court orders, and escaping lawful custody. They were sentenced to more than 18 years combined.
Here's a round-up of the cases.
Tyrone Walsh
Walsh was "driving erratically" on the A4061 in the Bridgend area on May 20 when he crossed onto the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into a Renault Clio. The other driver suffered six fractured ribs and a suspected collapsed lung. Police found cannabis inside Walsh's gilet in the car, but he refused to provide a blood sample.
Despite being a learner, he did not have a supervising passenger and was not displaying L plates. Late on June 19, Walsh tried to outrun police in a Peugeot Boxer van heading from Pontardawe towards Neath. Despite having both front tyres punctured by a stinger, Walsh mounted the pavement to escape.
He came to a stop in Bryncoch, having been pursued by police for around five miles. He again refused to provide a sample, but told officers there was a kitchen knife in the driver's side door. He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop, possession of a knife, cannabis possession, and two offences each of failing to provide a sample for analysis and driving without a licence or insurance.
Walsh, 18, of no fixed abode, to a total of 14 months detention in a Young Offender Institution[2], and was banned from driving for two years and 10 months.
Callum Darch
He temporarily beached his car after reversing on to a boulder in his haste to get away. When he regained traction, he hit the officer's car as he sped off. Darch was arrested hiding in some brambles after he crashed his car trying to escape.
The 26-year-old, of St Blaize Road in Romsey, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, drink-driving, failing to stop, failing to stop after an accident, and driving without insurance.[3] Darch was jailed for 14 months[4], was banned from driving for 31 months and must pass an extended driving test to regain his licence.
Declan Watt
Watt was jailed last December for battery after he flew into a jealous rage and attacked his pregnant wife when she received a text from another man.[6] His wife was granted a three-year restraining order. Police attended Watt's ex-partner's home after she called 999 early on July 17. As an officer went to arrest him, the defendant hit him twice.
The officer managed to subdue him and he was arrested. Watt, 32, of Springfield Close in Honeyborough, pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order and assault by beating of an emergency worker[7]. He was jailed for 12 months[8].
Aaron Cann
Jealous boyfriend Aaron Cann attacked and strangled his partner whilst he was on bail not to contact her. Cann, 31, of Clos Maes Yr Ysgol in Pontarddulais, repeatedly phoned and messaged the victim on October 3 accusing her of infidelity, and she was forced to leave her home for a few days after he emailed her on November 30 saying he was "in trouble" after he got into a disagreement in prison and they had her address thinking he lived there. Cann was arrested after showing up at her address on January 2, and was released on bail.
Despite that, he called her to get her to withdraw her support for the prosecution, and then showed up at her home again on March 29. Whilst there, he grabbed her by the throat and threw her on to the sofa with both hands still around her neck. He then dug his knuckles into her collarbone, hit her in the face, and threw a frozen water bottle which hit her on the leg.
Cann was arrested in the victim's garden on April 3, and pleaded guilty to controlling behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and strangulation. He was jailed for three years and five months[9], and was made the subject of a 10-year restraining order.
Rhys Copley
Copley assaulted a man outside the CK Foodstores shop in St Davids on July 28. When searched, the defendant was found with around 30 grams of cocaine and a total of 391 grams of cannabis, as well as GBP815 in cash on him. Copley, of Noddfa Dewi in St Davids, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis, possession of criminal property - relating to the cash, and assault by beating.[10]
He was jailed for a total of three years[11].
Steven Allen
Convicted sex offender Steven Allen gave a fake name at a ferry terminal to avoid police detection as he travelled to Ireland. Police received a report that a man who gave his name as 'Alexander Freeman' had taken the ferry to Ireland from Fishguard on June 16. He was recognised as Allen.
Allen was arrested at the ferry terminal again at 2.36am on July 31 trying to leave for Ireland. He was found with an unregistered phone, and refused to give the passcode to officers. The 47-year-old had also failed to show up to register at a police station as being of no fixed abode on July 17, and police were unable to contact him by phone.
Allen pleaded guilty to three offences of failing to comply with his notification requirements and one breach of his sexual harm prevention order.[12] He was jailed for two years and eight months[13].
Jason Lewis
Police were called to Towy Metals in Llandeilo on the morning of June 28 after reports that Lewis was "smashing up" property inside and had poured petrol against the door[14]. After a six-hour stand-off[15], armed police entered the industrial building. Lewis had doused himself in petrol, but was apprehended.
The evening before, Lewis had threatened to kill his uncle when he spotted him whilst drinking in the beer garden of The Salutation Inn in Llandeilo. He admitted making threats to kill, affray, and criminal damage[16], and was jailed for 18 months[17].
Thomas Gore
After stopping a Ford Transit in Pembroke Dock on June 27, officers found a rucksack in the back containing 124.25 grams of cocaine, GBP538.69 in cash and two iPhones. The driver, 32-year-old Thomas Gore, also had 3.5 grams of herbal cannabis on him. Gore said he had fallen into gambling debts and had been paid GBP200 to drive the bag from Wolverhampton to Pembroke Dock, but said he didn't know what was inside.
But checks revealed his van had made five trips from the west Midlands to Pembrokeshire between February 12 and May 21, and he had drug-related messages on his phone. Gore, of High Street in Wednesfield, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession of criminal property, and cannabis possession[18]. He was jailed for three years[19].
Zachariah Roberts-Thomas
Domestic abuser Zachariah Roberts-Thomas went on the run after fleeing when police were called to reports of a disturbance. Police attended his home on Marble Hall Road in Milford Haven on June 4. The 24-year-old was arrested, and he asked if he could attend to his dog, which a police officer said "seemed aggressive".
He took it into a bedroom, and the door closed behind him.
Roberts-Thomas used this chance to escape out the window, and went on the run for 19 days.[20] He was arrested at his partner's home - who he was banned from seeing by a restraining order - on June 23.
He pleaded guilty to escaping lawful custody and breaching a restraining order, and was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment.
References
- ^ here (www.facebook.com)
- ^ Walsh, 18, of no fixed abode, to a total of 14 months detention in a Young Offender Institution (www.southwalesguardian.co.uk)
- ^ The 26-year-old, of St Blaize Road in Romsey, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, drink-driving, failing to stop, failing to stop after an accident, and driving without insurance. (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Darch was jailed for 14 months (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ showed up at his former partner's home whilst high on cocaine and attacked a police officer (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Watt was jailed last December for battery after he flew into a jealous rage and attacked his pregnant wife when she received a text from another man. (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Watt, 32, of Springfield Close in Honeyborough, pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order and assault by beating of an emergency worker (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ He was jailed for 12 months (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ He was jailed for three years and five months (www.southwalesguardian.co.uk)
- ^ Copley, of Noddfa Dewi in St Davids, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis, possession of criminal property - relating to the cash, and assault by beating. (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ He was jailed for a total of three years (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Allen pleaded guilty to three offences of failing to comply with his notification requirements and one breach of his sexual harm prevention order. (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ He was jailed for two years and eight months (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Police were called to Towy Metals in Llandeilo on the morning of June 28 after reports that Lewis was "smashing up" property inside and had poured petrol against the door (www.southwalesguardian.co.uk)
- ^ After a six-hour stand-off (www.southwalesguardian.co.uk)
- ^ He admitted making threats to kill, affray, and criminal damage (www.southwalesguardian.co.uk)
- ^ jailed for 18 months (www.southwalesguardian.co.uk)
- ^ Gore, of High Street in Wednesfield, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession of criminal property, and cannabis possession (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ He was jailed for three years (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Roberts-Thomas used this chance to escape out the window, and went on the run for 19 days. (www.westerntelegraph.co.uk)