Search results for Llanelli

Description

A rapist who was convicted of a series of offences including rape, sexual touching, and inciting a girl into sexual activity has been jailed for 22 years at Swansea Crown Court.

Damien Jones, aged 40, of Llanelli, was imprisoned on Monday (6/7) after a jury found him guilty of the following counts on Wednesday 6th May this year:

• Four counts of rape of girl under 13
• Two counts of sexual touching of a girl under 13
• Three counts of sexual assault with penetration of girl under 13
• Four counts of inciting a girl under 13 into sexual activity without penetration
• Three counts of inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 into sexual activity with penetration
• The offences took place between 2013 and 2021 and relate to one victim, a girl aged under 15 at the time.

In addition to the jail sentence, Jones was made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite restraining order against the victim.

DC Leanne Morris of South Powys CID, said:

“I would like to take this opportunity to first and foremost commend the bravery shown by the victim in this case. They have shown incredible courage to provide their account to us, as well as appearing in court to give evidence during this trial. We are incredibly grateful for their strength and fortitude in ensuring that Jones has been brought before the courts and ultimately sentenced.

“Jones is clearly an incredibly dangerous individual, and today’s sentence reflects the nature of his depraved crimes. Thankfully he is now no longer a danger to the public. The investigation team in this case have shown excellent professionalism and hard work in obtaining this result.”

Description

A man has been jailed after he was found guilty of rape and sexual assault.

Jason Bailey, 48, of Llanelli has been sentenced to six years in prison after appearing today (March 17) at Cardiff Crown Court. On December 5, Bailey was found guilty of rape and assault on a female which took place at a flat on August 28, 2023.  

Detective Constable Ashley Colston said:

“Jason Bailey was under no illusion that the acts he carried out were illegal, yet he did so anyway.

“Bailey exploited a power imbalance and thrived off it.

“We commend the bravery of the victim who, by telling us what Bailey did, helped to secure this conviction and sentence.”

Description

A convicted sex offender sent a video of himself masturbating to someone he believed was a 12-year-old girl, but who was actually an undercover police officer.

He later instructed the decoy to delete the video and requested naked images of her.

Craig Evans, 47, of Llanelli, initiated contact with the decoy on the Kik messenger app in October last year. The decoy immediately stated she was 12, but Evans asked if she had a boyfriend and had done "naked stuff." At Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, the hearing revealed he told her he was "horny and hard" and asked for a photo. After receiving a "selfie," he replied: "Stunning, how about naked?"

Evans sent photos of himself and his dog, then said he was "sitting on the bed naked and watching pornography." He asked if she had "seen a penis before," sent the masturbation video, and urged deletion.

Police arrested him at home on October 31. In his interview, Evans claimed he doubted the decoy was real due to Kik's age verifications, thought it was "role playing," and believed it was a vigilante group, asking questions to "catch them out."

Evans, of Dolau Fawr, pleaded guilty to attempting sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch sexual activity. The court noted his prior conviction for sending a genital photo to an elderly woman to cause alarm, distress, and humiliation.

In mitigation, David Singh described the interaction as "limited" with a gap in offending, noting Evans' deteriorated mental health and lack of appointments until custody.

Judge Paul Hobson cited "warped thinking" in Evans' sexual behavior. He was sentenced to 70 weeks' imprisonment, plus 10 years of sex offender notification and a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A man from Carmarthenshire has been jailed after he was convicted of sexual offences against two separate victims.

37-year-old Geoffrey Jones, from Llanelli, was under investigation for separate allegations by a victim when they disclosed that they had been raped by Jones on several occasions between 2017 and 2019.

At the same time, another victim reinstated their case, wherein an attempted rape took place during a night out in Swansea in 2015.

Jones has been convicted of four counts of rape in relation to one victim and one count of attempted rape and digital penetration in relation to his other victim. He has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Description

A former police worker groomed a young girl and subjected her to a seven-year-long campaign of rape and abuse, a court has heard.

Alexander Wilson - who worked for two different police forces before latterly becoming a train manager - denied his guilt and forced his young victim to go through the ordeal of trial where she was seen to be visibly upset and shaking in the witness box as she gave evidence.

A judge said the 45-year-old had caused his victim enormous psychological harm while a police officer said the damage he had done to the child was "incalculable". Wilson has been given a 20-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender.

Swansea Crown Court heard the rapes began when the girl was aged around five and continued for some seven years. Mark Wyeth KC, prosecuting, described Wilson as being "cruel and emotionally manipulative" towards the child during the prolonged period of abuse.

The abuse finally ended after an incident where Wilson had forced the child to perform a sex act on him. The court heard the girl texted her mother a "codeword" and a particular emoji the pair had agreed she should use if she felt in danger. The girl's mother later spoke to her daughter and the child disclosed what had been going on.

The barrister said as a "part-time policeman" the defendant "was certainly a man who knew the difference between right and wrong" and he described him as a "dangerous, highly skilled and manipulative paedophile". Wilson, formerly of Glais, Swansea, but now of Nightingale Court, Llanelli, had previously been convicted at trial of two counts of the rape of a child under 13 - one charge relating to a specific incident and the other covering multiple occasions of rape - and of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

He has no previous convictions. Kevin Batch, for Wilson, said the defendant had been a man of not just clean character but of positive good character having worked as a civilian enquiries clerk for South Wales Police in Swansea, in a community liaison role for British Transport Police - a job which saw him regularly attending schools to give talks about the dangers of trespassing on the rails - and latterly a train manager and conductor for Arriva Trains. He said the defendant had earned enhanced prisoner status in prison and was a peer mentor helping other inmates with reading and writing.

Recorder Richard Booth KC said it was clear from everything he had read in the case and from presiding over the trial that Wilson had caused his young victim severe psychological harm. He said he would draw back from imposing a life sentence but said he was satisfied Wilson should be considered a dangerous offender and given an extended sentence.

Wilson was given a 20-year sentence comprising 17 years in custody followed by a three-year licence period. The defendant must serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before he can apply for release but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be let out. Wilson will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children.

Speaking after the sentencing South Wale Police detective constable Chris Medlicott said: "Alexander Wilson is a dangerous child sex predator who disgustingly took advantage of a child. Thankfully, his victim’s traumatic ordeal is now over - but the damage caused to them by Alexander Wilson’s offending will be incalculable. He will now, rightly, be sent to prison."

Description

James Hirst, 32, was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely in 2015 after he was jailed for six years for sexual assault, prosecutor Sian Cutter told Swansea Crown Court.

As part of this, he had to notify the police of any address he stayed at for seven days or more within a 12-month period, or where he stayed for at least 12 hours when an under-18 year old also lives or stays, and had to update police annually with his contact information and address.

James Hirst, 32, was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely in 2015 after he was jailed for six years for sexual assault, prosecutor Sian Cutter told Swansea Crown Court.

As part of this, he had to notify the police of any address he stayed at for seven days or more within a 12-month period, or where he stayed for at least 12 hours when an under-18 year old also lives or stays, and had to update police annually with his contact information and address.

Police attended the address on February 13, and Hirst was arrested.

The owner of the address said she and the defendant were just friends and that she was aware he was a sex offender. She said she had invited him to stay at the house – where her 13, nine and six year old children live – on February 11 and 12.

Ms Cutter said Hirst later told police he believed he was still within the three days allowed before having to notify the police.

He was arrested again on April 20, after he failed to attend an appointment with the police to update his contact information.

His mobile phone was seized, and officers used data from the phone to find Hirst had stayed at the address on Ffordd Aneurin from January 15 to 26, and on January 30.

Hirst, of High Street in Narberth, has eight convictions for 14 previous offences – including one breach of the sex offenders register notification requirements in 2019.

Mr Griffiths, defending, said: “It’s simply the case he believes these requirements are interfering with his ability to develop normal friendships and relationships.”

He said this offending was a case of Hirst “taking it upon himself” to see if the relationship with the woman would develop.

“These measures are in place as safeguarding measures to protect future partners,” said Mr Griffiths. “He needs to develop a change in attitude and a change in his behaviour.”

“Or to put it another way, he needs to grow up,” Judge Paul Thomas said.

“There’s a song from many years ago, Mr Griffiths, ‘I fought the law and the law won’. The law will win.”

Judge Thomas described the breaches as “blatant”, and added that Hirst’s partner was “lucky not to be facing a prison sentence” for attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

For the first two breaches, Hirst was jailed for 12 months, running concurrently. He received a three-month sentence – running concurrently – for not attending the appointment with police.

There was no separate penalty for breaching the community order, which the judge revoked, having sent Hirst to jail.

Description

A convicted rapist with derogatory attitudes about females preyed on a lone woman and subjected her to a terrifying ordeal in her own home.

Ian Maclean forced his way into his victim's house after first establishing she was on her own before throttling her. The victim later said she thought the intruder was going to rape her, and she said he seemed to enjoy how scared she was. Swansea Crown Court heard Maclean has more than 120 previous offences on his record including assaults, burglaries, and a "particularly horrific" rape of a young woman who he dragged from her bed after breaking into her house.

Handing down an extended sentence, a judge told the 49-year-old he had no doubt he should be considered a dangerous offender, and he said it may be that Maclean had been motivated by his desire to regain dominance over women after a period in prison.

 The court heard that on March 31 year last Maclean was acquitted of rape following a trial at Swansea Crown Court. Later that night he burgled a woman's flat and ransacked the property, helped himself to some of his victim's alcohol, and rearranged her underwear in a dresser drawer.

Then on the morning of April 5 he left his parent's house in Llanelli and caught a train to Swansea.

Helen Randall, prosecuting, said at around 2pm a woman working in her garden became away of being watched through the hedge - thinking it may have been a neighbour she called out but Maclean replied: "I'm not lurking, I'm looking for my father, Kevin". The court heard the woman told him he had the wrong address and Maclean tried to engage her in small talk before leaving.

Later that afternoon the woman was in her house when she became aware of a man standing outside her front door - through the glass she recognised him as the same male who had been watching her earlier. The court heard Maclean opened the door and walked into her house - the woman told him he couldn't come in but he pushed past her. The homeowner tried to force him back out but he pushed her aside.

The prosecutor said the frightened woman tried to remain calm and talk to the man in an attempt to get him to leave, and when he asked for a cigarette paper she suggested he could have a smoke and a cup of tea outside. Maclean replied: "I don't want a cup of tea. That's not what I want". The court heard the woman thought the intruder was going to try to rape her, and that "he appeared to enjoy the fact he was frightening her".

The woman was able to grab her phone and flee the property with Maclean in pursuit - he chased her though the garden before catching her by the garden gate and grabbing her around the throat. The woman called out to a neighbour for help and managed to poke her assailant in the eyes causing him to lose his balance. Maclean then "calmly walked away" and the police were alerted. The defendant was located a short distance away where he became "obstructive and abusive" towards officers and had to be restrained.

In his subsequent interview Maclean said he had purchased alcohol and had gone for a walk. He denied going into the woman's house or assaulting her, and said he had been the one who was scared by her shouting and running around. He said he had walked away before sitting in a chair in a nearby garden and falling asleep.

In a statement from the victim of the Llanelli burglary she said she had been left feeling unsafe in her own home, and now locks the bedroom door at night and sleeps in her clothes in case she has to flee.

In her statement the victim of the Swansea incident said she had felt "absolutely terrified" during the ordeal, and now suffers with anxiety, has trouble sleeping, and suffers flashback where she sees Maclean's face and smells the alcohol on his breath. She said she felt "violated" at having the intruder in her house, and the experience had totally changed the way she lived her life.

Ian David Maclean, of no fixed abode, had previously been found guilty of burglary at trial in regard to the Llanelli matter and had pleaded guilty to affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) in regard to the Swansea offending when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 44 previous convictions for 127 offences including an ABH on a partner who he kicked and punched in the face and a battery on a partner who he had throttled. He also has convictions for six burglaries of houses in Carmarthen, Llanelli and Neath, as well as for thefts and public order matters. In 1994 he was sentenced to eight years in prison and put on the sex offenders register for life after what the Parole Board described as "a particularly horrific rape" of a young woman - this had seen him braking into her house, dragging his victim from her bed, and raping her vaginally and anally while shouting: "I want you to suffer, b****. I hope you get f****** pregnant."

Lloyd Jenkins, for Maclean, said it was accepted the defendant had committed "appalling offences" which would have significant and long-term impacts on his victims. He said Maclean had told him that he struggled to cope in the community and feels he only has "stability, security and structure" in prison, and that as he approached the age of 50 he realises that "enough is enough" and he has to change.

Judge Huw Rees said hours after being acquitted of rape at Swansea Crown Court, Maclean had burgled a woman's flat in Llanelli and then, days later, travelled to Swansea where he had subjected another woman to a terrifying ordeal in her own home. He said having established that the woman lived alone he had forced his way into her home, and that in his view the defendant's intention had been "to harm that woman either physically or sexually or both".

He said reports into Maclean had identified he has extreme anger issues, derogatory attitudes towards women, a history of carrying out "revenge-type attacks on females", and has consistently failed to engage with probation, has moved around the UK frequently, and has repeatedly failed to comply with the requirements of the the sex offender register. The report had also identified Maclean has a history of targeting vulnerable woman for relationships, and also had a history of accessing student accommodation both in Wales and as far afield as Durham claiming to be campus security.

The judge said there were sinister aspects to the offending before the court, and it may have been motivated by Maclean's desire to "regain dominance" over women after spending months on remand awaiting his rape trial. The judge said he had no doubt the defendant should rightly be categorised as a dangerous offender in the meaning of the legislation.

Maclean was given an extended sentence of eight years and eight months comprising six years and eight months in prison followed by a two-year extended licence period. He must serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before he can apply for release but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be released.

Description

A man who raped an 11-year-old boy sees nothing wrong with engaging in sexual activity with children, a court has heard.

Hughie Janes believes children of primary school age know what sexual activity is and "they want it". Swansea Crown Court heard the defendant thinks he was giving pleasure to the boy he raped, and he does not think he committed an offence. Passing an extended sentence on Janes, a judge told him he posed a danger to children.

The court heard 27-year-old Janes abused the boy at an address in Carmarthenshire, raping the child while putting his hand over the youngster's mouth and then performing oral sex on him. John Philpotts, prosecuting, said when arrested and interviewed the defendant gave a prepared statement in which he denied the allegations against him, and then declined to answer any questions.

Janes, of Clos Cefn y Maes, Llwynhendy, Llanelli, had previously pleaded guilty to raping a child under 13 and to causing a child to engage in sexual activity when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 11 previous convictions for 18 offences including dishonesty matters, drugs offences and violence.

Dyfed Thomas, for Janes, said the defendant had told him he was sorry and remorseful for his actions. He said his client had experienced mental health issues and problems caused by cannabis use - but those were not matters which were relied upon in mitigation.

Recorder IWL Jones told Janes he had no doubt that what he did to his victim would have a life-long effect. He said he had read the very detailed and "concerning" pre-sentence report on the defendant in which Janes said he did not see any problem having a sexual relationship with a male child. Quoting the report, the recorder said Janes believes children as young as 10 "know what sexual activity is and, in that regard, they want it" and "he sees nothing wrong with committing sexual acts with children". The report also said Janes believes he "committed a pleasurable experience" on the boy he raped.

Recorder Jones said the author of the report had concluded that Janes does not believe he has committed an offence, has no remorse or empathy and poses a significant risk of inflicting serious harm by committing further offences. The recorder said everything he had read about Janes led him to the conclusion that only an extended sentence was suitable. He told the defendant: "You are dangerous. There is a significant risk that you will commit further specified offences and, by doing so, you will cause further serious physical or psychological harm to one or more people."

With a one-third discount for his guilty please Janes was given a 12-and-a-half year extended sentence comprising six-and-a-half years custody followed by an extended six-year licence period. The defendant must serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before he can apply for release but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be released. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Description

A senior doctor who downloaded over 1,600 pornographic images of children has blamed it on pressure of work and depression, a court has heard. Consultant radiologist Charles Bartlett, 49, of Ferryside, Llanelli, had admitted 17 charges of making and possessing indecent photographs of children.

Cardiff Crown Court was told a depressive illness "disinhibited" a persistent interest Bartlett had in pornography.

He avoided a jail sentence but was ordered to carry out a three-year community rehabilitation order, which includes treatment for sex offenders.

He was also banned from working with children, put on the sex offender's register for five years and prohibited from using computers without permission from probation officers.

He was ordered to pay £800 prosecution costs and an unnamed amount of defence costs.

Anxiety

The judge, Mr Justice Christopher Pitchford, said the loss of Bartlett's reputation and job was "a punishment that will last for the rest of your life".

"The illness disinhibited your interest in pornography and its cause was primarily the burden you undertook in your working life" Mr Justice Pitchford.

He was not considered to be danger to the public and his "distorted thinking" would be attended to by his sentence, the judge added.

"You were suffering from an illness throughout the time these offences were committed," he said.

"The illness disinhibited your interest in pornography and its cause was primarily the burden you undertook in your working life."

A GP's report from April 2002 said the consultant was suffering anxiety, depression, anorexia and insomnia.

Bartlett, who is serving out his notice at West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen, was arrested in June as part of a worldwide hunt for paedophiles known as Operation Ore.

Material taken from his home revealed he had saved more than 1,600 indecent images.

Testimonials

Mr Justice Pitchford said: "These images are only available through the corruption and coercion of children.

"You are experienced and intelligent enough to have known this."

The court heard 10 of Bartlett's senior colleagues gave testimonials about the quality of his work during 16 years with Carmarthenshire NHS Trust.

"Your secret interest had no observable effect in your dealings with patients, in particular children," the judge added.

Bartlett said in a letter partially read in a previous hearing: "I wish to apologise to all my patients, and the parents of any younger patients, and assure them that the part of my life that brought me to this was always completely separate."