News

Betty Guy ‘murdered by her daughter and grandson’

Published

8 years ago

January 9, 2018

Tom Sinclair

BETTY GUY was murdered by her own daughter and grandson, a jury heard today (Jan 9).

Penelope John fed her crushed transquilisers and alcohol and Barry Rogers smothered her with a pillow, it was alleged.

John, aged 50, of Union Terrace, St Dogmaels, and Rogers, 32, of High Street, Fishguard, deny murdering 84 year old Mrs Guy on November 7, 2011, at her home in Hillcroft, Johnston, near Haverfordwest.

Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting at Swansea Crown Court, said at first Mrs Guy’s death was put down to natural causes and her body was cremated soon afterwards.

But in the following years, he alleged, Rogers made a series of confessions to women he later had relationships with.

And police tape recorded more confessions after they secretly bugged John’s home and heard both of them discussing what they had done.

They included, said Mr Lewis, Rogers telling his mother: “But I did it. No honestly you have got nothing to worry about, it’s me that’s the one that’s done the act.”

Later they became concerned about whether Rogers had spoken about John putting tablets into Mrs Guy’s whiskey on a mobile telephone or put it in a text.

Rogers could be heard saying, softly, to John: “Are you starting to crack? Keep our story the same.”

John was taped saying: “No, I can’t remember. Did I text you when I said I crushed the diazepam up and I crushed zopiclone and put it in her….

“No, I would not have text that to you Barry. On reflection, I would have told you on the telephone.”

Rogers allegedly replied, “On the phone, yeah. I’m sure we spoke on the phone about it.”

Another recording caught Rogers, referring again to mobile telephones, saying to John: “But it’s f***ing technology like, a slip of a word here or there and we are in deep s**t like, we’re in jail for life.”

Mr Lewis said the prosecution case was that both Rogers and John had decided to end Mrs Guy’s life.

At 2.48am on November 7 John dialled 999 and said her mother had died. She said she had been suffering from stomach and bowel cancer, both of which were untrue.

She also said Rogers was in the house.

Because Mrs Guy was to be cremated her body was examined by two doctors. Dr Roger Burns noted small pinpoint bruising on the left side of her face.

No postmortem was carried out and the cremation went ahead at Narberth.

Rogers developed a relationship with Sandra Adams, who had been a junior school pupil in Haverfordwest with him many years before.

In November, 2015, Miss Adams went to the police to say Rogers had told her that he had smothered his grandmother with a pillow and an investigation began.

Detectives traced his estranged wife, Lisa Watkins, and another woman he had had a relationship with, Rhianne Morris.

Mr Lewis said they discovered that Rogers had also confessed to them.

The defendants were arrested on October 5, 2016.

While they were being interviewed bugs were placed at John’s home and on their release Rogers was granted bail on the condition he stayed with his mother.

“Almost as soon as they got in they began to talk,” said Mr Lewis.

When Rogers was re-interviewed and told about the tape recordings, he claimed to have made the statements ‘to take the p**s out of you pigs’.

Rogers, a former soldier, told police he knew the house had been bugged because he had bought a bug detector on EBay the day after he and his mother had been released on bail.

But, said Mr Lewis, the incriminating conversations had been recorded in the early hours of the morning or their release and ‘well before Barry Rogers could possibly have bought any bug detector’.

Mr Lewis said Rhianne Morris had told them that in 2010 she had moved in with Rogers, then living at 6 Rhydyfelin, Cardigan. Later, they moved to Frome in Somerset.

Late on November 6, 2011, Rogers received a telephone call from his mother and he could be heard saying: “It’s time, is it?”

Rogers then drove to Johnston and telephoned Miss Morris in the early hours of the following day to say ‘his Nan had gone’.

He allegedly told Miss Morris that John had given Mrs Guy ‘a load of tablets and a bottle of whiskey’.

Their relationship deteriorated and during a heated argument Rogers allegedly said to Miss Morris: “You want to be careful, or I’ll do to you want I did to her.”

Rogers allegedly picked up a pillow and held it to his face, saying to Miss Morris: “I’ll do it while you’re sleeping and you won’t know.”

Both John and Rogers deny having any involvement in Mrs Guy’s death.

t was now too late for anyone to prove medically how Betty Guy died, the jury heard.

Her body was cremated four days after her death.

But, said Paul Lewis QC, the prosecution would still show that she was suffocated as the result of an agreement between the two defendants.

After police had become suspicious about how she had died a Home Office forensic pathologist, Dr Deryck James, had reviewed her medical history and the notes made by the two doctors who had examined her body before she had been cremated.

Dr James concluded that although she had suffered ill health she had not any terminal illness.

Dr James said he noted that bruising had been visible on Mrs Guy’s face.

“In his opinion where a person is found dead, is face up and has not been the subject of any resuscitation attempts, then such petechiae (bruising) warrant further investigation because they raise the question of there having been pressure applied to the face or neck and thus the possibility of suffocation.

“However, such petechiae do not point inexorably to there having been an obstruction to Mrs Guy’s breathing and, from a medical standpoint, Dr James cannot now rule out that Mrs Guy suffered a natural death.

“The medical evidence cannot therefore provide any certainty as to how Mrs Guy died.”

He told the jury, “You will have to decide upon all the evidence that you hear.

“Did she die of natural causes as the defendants contend or, as we allege, was she suffocated as the result of an agreement reached between the two defendants.

“We submit, however, that she did not die from natural causes and that the defendants did not tell the truth in interview.

“Instead, they lied to try and conceal the arrangement they had made and the steps that they took to end Mrs Guy’s life.”

The trial continues and is expected to last for three weeks.

Charity

Bassetts Motor Group donates electric van to support lifesaving charity

Published

2 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

BASSETTS Motor Group has donated an electric van to support the vital work of Wales Air Ambulance, providing a major boost to the charity’s day-to-day fundraising operations.

The South West Wales-based company has gifted a Citroën e-Berlingo for use until the end of the year — marking the first time the business has made a significant gift in kind to the charity.

Staff from Bassetts recently visited the charity’s headquarters in Dafen to hand over the vehicle, where they met with a medic and were given an insight into the critical care delivered by the service, including a tour of a rapid response car.

Ashley White, of Bassetts Motor Group, said: “Being a South West Wales-based business, we’ve seen first-hand the incredible work that Wales Air Ambulance does.

“We knew the charity relies heavily on fundraising and donations, so when we were looking for a cause to support, it felt like a natural choice.”

The van has been branded with the charity’s logo and information on how the public can support its lifesaving lottery.

Explaining the choice of vehicle, Ashley added: “We’re strong advocates of electric vehicles. Getting people behind the wheel often changes perceptions and helps overcome misconceptions about going electric.

“Citroën offered us a deal that made it possible for us to provide the van in this way, and we felt it would be perfectly suited to the charity’s fundraising needs.”

The Wales Air Ambulance delivers consultant-led emergency care across the country, bringing hospital-level treatment directly to patients and, where necessary, transferring them swiftly to the most appropriate specialist centres. This approach can save critical time and significantly improve survival and recovery outcomes.

The service operates through a unique partnership between the charity and the NHS, with the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service providing highly skilled consultants and critical care practitioners who work onboard its aircraft and rapid response vehicles.

As a pan-Wales service, its crews cover the entire country, delivering emergency care wherever it is needed.

Nina Rice, Head of Fundraising High Value Partnerships at Wales Air Ambulance, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Bassetts Motor Group for this generous gift in kind.

“The use of the electric vehicle will make a real difference to our fundraising efforts, helping us reach more communities and raise vital funds.

“As a local company, Bassetts understands just how important our service is to people across Wales. This support will directly help us continue our lifesaving work.”

The charity must raise £13 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.

For more information, visit the Bassetts Motor Group website.

Community

Residents return home after major Carmarthenshire fire as probe continues

Published

2 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS forced to evacuate their homes following a major fire in Kidwelly have now been allowed to return, as emergency services confirm the scene has been stood down.

The blaze broke out at a property on Lady Street in the early hours of Tuesday (March 24), with emergency services called at around 4:20am. Several neighbouring homes were evacuated as a precaution while firefighters tackled the incident and assessed the safety of surrounding buildings.

In the latest update, Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that officers have now left the scene and displaced residents were able to return to their properties on Thursday evening (March 26), following work to make the affected building safe.

The incident caused significant disruption in the town, with Lady Street remaining closed while further work is carried out to ensure the safety of the highway and surrounding structures.

Emergency services, including Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, were on the scene for several hours during the initial response. Crews were understood to have dealt with a serious property fire, prompting a large-scale emergency operation in the centre of the town.

While the immediate danger has now passed, authorities have confirmed that investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses or anyone with relevant information to come forward.

Officers are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have CCTV, doorbell, or dashcam footage from the area between 11:00pm on Monday (March 23) and 4:00am on Tuesday (March 24).

Anyone with information is urged to contact police quoting reference 027 of 24/3, either via 101, online, or anonymously through Crimestoppers.

Authorities thanked residents and the wider community for their patience during the incident, which saw homes evacuated and roads closed while emergency services carried out their work.

Further updates are expected as the investigation progresses.

Community

West Wales fire crews sharpen skills in major training exercise

Published

2 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FIREFIGHTERS from across west Wales took part in a large-scale training exercise designed to sharpen operational skills and strengthen teamwork.

Crews from the Western Division of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the development day at Earlswood Training Centre on Sunday (March 22).

Personnel travelled from stations including Carmarthen, Tumble, Newcastle Emlyn, Milford Haven, Narberth and Pontyates to take part in the exercise.

Realistic scenarios

Firefighters were put through a series of realistic scenarios designed to reflect incidents they may face on duty.

These included house fires with people reported inside, kitchen fires, and multi-vehicle road traffic collisions. Crews also carried out specialist line rescue exercises as part of the day.

Support staff played the roles of casualties and members of the public, adding to the realism and allowing firefighters to test their responses in lifelike conditions.