Episode of the BBC’s The Truth About My Murder spotlights the Herald’s in-depth reporting, community devastation, and the chilling sequence of events in Judith Rhead’s killing

THE EDITOR and deputy editor of The Pembrokeshire Herald—Tom Sinclair and Jon Coles—are key contributors to a major BBC documentary revisiting one of Pembrokeshire’s most shocking crimes: the murder of 68-year-old Judith Rhead by her son Dale Morgan during the 2021 Covid lockdown.

Titled A Killing in Lockdown, the episode from the forensic pathology series The Truth About My Murder (featuring experts like Dr. Richard Shepherd) becomes available on BBC iPlayer from Tuesday, February 3, 2026, with a BBC One airing scheduled for Tuesday 24 February 2026 at 10:40pm.

The programme reconstructs the brutal attack on Judith in her Market Street flat, Pembroke Dock. Her body was discovered on February 20, 2021, after a neighbor’s concern prompted police to force entry amid an open window in winter. Post-mortem findings revealed around 14 hammer blows to the head and asphyxiation via a plastic bag tied over her head, with defensive injuries indicating a desperate struggle.

The Herald’s coverage and contributors’ insights

The episode examines how The Pembrokeshire Herald reported the unfolding story under lockdown restrictions, from early suspicious-death coverage to the murder probe, Morgan’s disappearance and eventual arrest, his guilty plea in August 2021, and life sentence (minimum 21 years, 6 months) in October 2021 at Swansea Crown Court.

Tom Sinclair and Jon Coles provide insider perspectives on the newspaper’s role. Sinclair details the chronological build-up—what led to the attack, the prolonged concealment, and discovery.

“It was one of those stories that stopped people in their tracks,” Sinclair says. “Everyone knew Judith—she was warm, loved music and singing, and was deeply involved in the community. Lockdown meant no casual visits or check-ins; that isolation let this go unnoticed far too long.”

Jon Coles complements this by highlighting the day-to-day challenges and community pulse—gathering neighbour accounts, navigating restricted access, and capturing the profound local shock when the son’s involvement emerged. Their combined input underscores how local journalism bridged gaps during the pandemic, helping residents process the betrayal while feeding into the national forensic narrative.

Community shock and broader lessons

Hundreds defied restrictions to line streets for Judith’s funeral, reflecting her esteem and collective grief over a matricide enabled by isolation. The episode also explores rarer forensic/psychological aspects of such killings and pandemic vulnerabilities for the elderly.

For local viewers, seeing both Herald leaders on screen highlights the value of regional media in truth-seeking during crises. Stream from February 3 on iPlayer to witness how their reporting contributed to this sobering revisit.

THE UK GOVERNMENT has ruled out handing control of policing and criminal justice to Wales, triggering fresh political debate over whether the Senedd should ever take responsibility for law and order.

South Wales Central Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies said ministers were “right” to block further devolution, warning that separating Welsh forces from England would weaken efforts to tackle organised and cross-border crime.

His comments follow an exchange in the House of Commons, where Liz Saville-Roberts pressed the Home Secretary on transferring powers to Cardiff Bay. The Government confirmed it does not believe policing and criminal justice should be devolved.

“Must reflect the reality on the ground”

Mr Davies said proposals from Plaid Cymru and other devolution campaigners ignore how crime and communities operate in practice.

“The Senedd must not be put in charge of policing,” he said.

“Senedd ministers have an appalling track record on law and order. As senior police officers say, reforms must reflect the reality that many Welsh communities look east towards England far more than they do to other parts of Wales.”

Senior officers have echoed that concern.

Amanda Blackman, Chief Constable of North Wales Police, recently said her force area is “very much connected from a criminality perspective” to Merseyside and Cheshire.

“Our population move, if you like, is more east to west, west to east than it is north to south,” she said, pointing to the daily flow of commuters, shoppers and offenders across the border.

Long-running constitutional argument

Wales currently has four territorial forces – Dyfed-Powys, South Wales, Gwent and North Wales – but funding, legislation, prisons and the courts all remain under Westminster control.

Supporters of devolution argue this creates a “jagged” system, where services like health, housing and education are run by the Senedd but justice is not.

Plaid Cymru has repeatedly called for Wales to follow Scotland and Northern Ireland, both of which run their own justice systems.

They say decisions made in Cardiff could better reflect Welsh priorities, invest more in prevention, and link policing with mental health, youth services and social care.

A Plaid source said: “Communities in Wales should not have to rely on London to decide how their streets are policed. Justice should sit alongside the other services that deal with the causes of crime.”

Cost and complexity concerns

But critics warn that splitting away from England could come at a high price.

Establishing a separate legal and prison system would mean new administrative structures, courts oversight, inspection bodies and funding arrangements.

There are also practical questions around serious organised crime, counter-terrorism and specialist units that currently operate across England and Wales.

Former policing leaders have previously cautioned that criminals do not respect borders, and intelligence-sharing could become more complicated if systems diverge.

For rural areas such as Mid and West Wales, including Pembrokeshire, officers often work closely with English counterparts on drugs, county lines and cross-border burglary gangs.

Little appetite for change – for now

With the current Government making clear it has no plans to devolve the powers, the issue appears unlikely to change in the short term.

However, with constitutional reform regularly debated ahead of future elections, policing remains a live political question.

For now, responsibility for law and order stays firmly with Westminster – but the argument over who should control Wales’ justice system looks set to continue.

Woman handed suspended sentence after sending photos of primary school child to known paedophile she was “in a relationship” with

A WELSH mother has avoided immediate prison after admitting she sent indecent photographs of her young daughter to a convicted paedophile she described as being “in a relationship” with.

The woman, aged in her 30s, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court after pleading guilty to making and distributing an indecent image of a child.

The case emerged when West Mercia Police recovered images from a known sex offender’s device during an unrelated investigation. Officers identified that several of the images had been sent by the child’s mother and passed the intelligence to South Wales Police.

Eight photographs of the primary school-aged girl had been shared. One image, described in court as Category C, showed the child half-naked on a sofa.

When officers arrived at the family home to arrest her, the defendant was overheard telling her children: “Mummy has been in conversation with a silly man who had got her into trouble.”

During interview, the court heard she struggled to explain her behaviour. She told police her relationship with her partner at the time had broken down and she had felt “lost”, adding that she had “enjoyed the attention” from the man.

Sentencing, His Honour Paul Thomas KC described the offending as a “terrible breach of trust”.

He said sending such an image to a man she knew was a paedophile who wanted it for sexual gratification was “wholly beyond most people’s comprehension”.

The judge added it was fortunate her “pandering” to the offender had been uncovered before matters escalated further.

While acknowledging that any punishment would “pale into insignificance” compared with the lifelong consequences for the family, he said the offence crossed a serious threshold.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons in order to protect the identity of her daughter, has no previous convictions. The court was told her children are no longer in her care.

Defence counsel said she had been tearful and remorseful, telling solicitors she had “ruined her life”. A psychiatric assessment diagnosed her with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

She was handed a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

The court also imposed:

– 150 hours of unpaid work
– Completion of a rehabilitation programme
– Registration as a sex offender for ten years
– A Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years

Child protection specialists say the case underlines the risks of online relationships and the importance of reporting concerns early, particularly where vulnerable adults may be targeted by known offenders.

If you are worried about a child’s safety, contact police on 101 or report concerns anonymously via Crimestoppers.