Crime

Probation Service plan could see underqualified staff dealing with sex offenders

Published

1 year ago

March 16, 2025

PLANS to shift the supervision of sex offenders and domestic abusers in England and Wales to less-qualified probation staff have raised alarm among experts, with warnings that public safety could be at risk.

Under the proposals, set to be implemented in June, behaviour programmes for offenders will be delivered by “band 3” staff—who are not fully qualified probation officers—rather than “band 4” officers with extensive experience handling serious cases, including those involving rapists and paedophiles, and violent partners.

The move is part of wider changes in the probation system, which will also see the number of low- and medium-risk offenders required to complete twice-weekly rehabilitation courses reduced. Instead, probation officers will be expected to manage these offenders using “toolkits” in weekly meetings, rather than putting them through structured rehabilitation courses.

Some intervention programmes for sex offenders, including Horizon, Kaizen, and iHorizon, will also be scrapped in favour of a new single scheme called Building Choices.

Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation, has urged the government to closely monitor the new programmes to ensure they are effective and do not compromise public safety.

“HM Prison and Probation Service needs to be certain that these programmes are delivering the intended results,” Jones said. “There is a real risk of wasting public money on schemes that fail to reduce reoffending.”

Concerns have been growing among probation officers, who have been voicing their unease for months. Some believe the changes will not lighten their workload, as intended, but instead add to it. Others fear that shifting responsibility to less-experienced staff could lead to poor outcomes.

Whitehall sources have echoed these concerns, warning that the new approach could damage the probation service’s reputation and effectiveness.

A probation officer, speaking anonymously, said: “There are serious worries about these changes. Peer challenge in group settings is a key part of rehabilitation—when offenders deny their crimes, others in the group call them out. This dynamic is much harder to achieve in one-on-one meetings.”

The overhaul comes amid broader pressures on the probation system. Last month, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that rehabilitation courses for 13,000 convicted criminals would be scrapped due to what she described as “impossible” workloads faced by probation officers.

Mahmood defended the changes, stating: “We must prioritise resources for the most serious offenders. Those who pose a higher risk will still receive the courses they need, and breaches of licence conditions will continue to be met with prison recalls.”

She also outlined plans to recruit 1,300 new probation officers by March 2026, alongside an additional 1,000 staff by this March, and introduce new technology to reduce administrative burdens on officers.

Jones acknowledged the need for reforms, admitting that probation officers were struggling with heavy caseloads, but stressed that cutting structured rehabilitation for lower-risk offenders should be carefully reviewed to avoid unintended consequences.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Our priority is keeping the public safe, which is why probation officers will continue to focus on the highest-risk offenders. Only staff who are fully trained will be allowed to deliver accredited rehabilitation programmes, and this will not change under the new proposals.”

Crime

Farming company fined £19,000 for damaging protected wildlife site

Published

2 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A CARDIGAN farming company has been ordered to pay almost £20,000 after recklessly damaging a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd, run by David Glyn Jenkins and William Lloyd Jenkins, of Ty Hen, Verwig, admitted damaging the Llwyn Ysgaw, Caeau Crug Bychan and Ty Gwyn SSSI through the unauthorised use of manure, slurry, fertilisers and lime.

The offences took place between June 21 and July 31, 2024.

The court heard that Natural Resources Wales had repeatedly warned the company about how the protected land should be managed.

Aled Watkins, prosecuting for NRW, said an agreement made in 2004 made clear that the landowners needed written consent before carrying out certain activities on the site, including the use of slurry, herbicides, pesticides, fertiliser or lime.

He said: “A significant amount of guidance, advice and warnings has been directed to the company over a substantial period of time, as there have been problems before.”

The court was told advice had been given in 2017, with further discussions in 2021. Further problems were identified in 2024, leading to advice letters and then a formal warning in June that year.

Mr Watkins said: “Even after the letters were sent, no consent request was made.

“The common sense conclusion was that, where the original agreement was clear and advice had been given years prior, this was a deliberate act by the landowners of spreading slurry on the SSSI.”

Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging flora on the protected site, contrary to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The company also admitted permitting the use of manure, slurry, silage liquor, fertiliser or lime without written consent from NRW, knowing it was likely to damage rare flora and fauna as well as geological and physiographical features.

Defending, solicitor Harry Dickens said the company had not deliberately set out to damage the land.

“This is more akin to the business damaging the land rather than setting out within their practices to do that damage,” he said.

He added that various contractors were used at the farm and were not always aware of the regulations.

“The defendants did not go out intentionally to harm the flora and fauna,” he said.

“Yes, they had foresight of the warnings and the previous agreement, but this is more akin to wilful blindness rather than going out intending to damage the land. It was not a flagrant disregard.

“The defendants were not loutish in their usage of the land, they are not vandals, they have not been silent and neither have they stonewalled NRW.”

Mr Dickens said the farmers accepted the need to restore the land and were keen to work productively with the authorities.

District Judge Mark Layton said Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd had breached NRW requirements.

“They spread fertilisers, herbicides and slurry on the land which was a breach,” he said.

“This was clearly a deliberate act of culpability and a complete disregard after already being given advice and warnings.”

The court heard the company’s most recent financial turnover was just over £1.6m. It was described by the defence as a micro-business.

Jenkins Ty Hen Ltd was ordered to pay £19,940.66, made up of a £9,000 fine, £8,940.66 costs to NRW and a £2,000 surcharge.

A restoration order was also made requiring work to improve the quality of the damaged SSSI land.

Crime

Trial of men accused of murdering Ian Watkins delayed

Published

5 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE TRIAL of two prison inmates accused of murdering former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has been delayed by a day.

Watkins, who was serving a 29-year sentence for child sexual offences, died following an alleged attack at HMP Wakefield last October.

Rashid Gedel, 25, who has been referred to in court as Rico Gedel, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, were due to stand trial at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday (May 5).

The case is now expected to begin on Wednesday (May 6).

Watkins was jailed in December 2013 for 29 years, with a further six years on licence, after admitting a series of child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.

He was arrested after police executed a drugs warrant at his home in Pontypridd on September 21, 2012. Officers seized computers, mobile phones and storage devices, which later revealed evidence of his offending.

Watkins had previously been taken to hospital after being attacked in prison in 2023.

In 2019, he was jailed for an additional ten months after being found guilty of possessing a mobile phone while in prison.

Crime

70-year-old denies assault and restraining order breach

Published

4 days ago

May 1, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

A PENSIONER from Pembroke Dock has denied breaching a restraining order and assaulting another man.

Henry Howlett, 70, of Market Street, appeared before Swansea Crown Court today (Friday, May 1), charged with breaching a restraining order and common assault.

The charges relate to an alleged incident on November 9 last year.

Howlett has previously appeared before magistrates in connection with a separate alleged incident involving a neighbour.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court previously heard that a dispute arose on July 17 after neighbour Steven Bromhall was washing his car outside his home in Market Street.

Prosecutor Nia James told the court that, as a taxi arrived to collect Howlett, the driver opened the window while passing and Mr Bromhall inadvertently sprayed the taxi driver with water from a hosepipe.

“The taxi driver started remonstrating, and the defendant then began waving his walking stick in the air, towards Mr Bromhall,” she said.

The court heard Mr Bromhall sustained an injury to his back, although it remained unclear whether he had been struck by Howlett’s stick.

Howlett pleaded not guilty to common assault in relation to that incident and was released on unconditional bail. A trial date was set at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

At Swansea Crown Court today, His Honour Judge P H Thomas KC asked Howlett whether he was legally represented.

“I can’t find anyone decent, I’m still searching, my lord,” Howlett replied.

When the court attempted to take his pleas, Howlett repeatedly interrupted in an effort to give an explanation, prompting the judge to tell him: “Be quiet, Mr Howlett.”