Crime

14-year-old girl jailed for attempted Ammanford murders

Published

8 months ago

April 28, 2025

A SCHOOL girl has been jailed for attempting to murder two teachers and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, Ammanford.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced on Monday (April 28) by Judge Paul Thomas sitting at Swansea Crown Court.

“What you did in school almost a year ago to the day, has caused a large number of people a great deal of harm and upset,” said Judge Thomas.

“It’s enormously affected many lives including your own.

“The simple fact is, you tried to kill three people. You came to school that day planning to do that, as far as Mrs Elias was concerned. You hated her.

“What you did, you did in full view of so many other pupils, at a time when there were a lot of people about. And that wasn’t a coincidence

“You wanted as many of your fellow pupils as possible to see what you intended to do. You picked the time and the place to attack her.

“I’ve watched you carefully as you’ve sat in court, and I’ve formed opinions. I believe that what you did was, above all, for attention which perhaps you haven’t had from others in the past. And I think you actually enjoyed the reaction and the publicity.”

Judge Thomas said that after being placed in a police van outside the school gates following her arrest, the defendant said that this was ‘one way to become famous’.

“This was what you really thought and continue to think,” continued Judge Thomas.

“I don’t think you’re genuinely sorry for what you did and I don’t think you really care much about what others have suffered by what you did to them.

“I know your life hasn’t been a straightforward one by any means, and that you have a very complex personality. But many children are in similar positions and they don’t behave how you did that day. They don’t try to kill two teachers and a classmate.”

Judge Thomas said the defendant remains a potential risk to others at the secure unit where she has been detained since the offence, having made a serious threat to another.

Emergency services were called to the school on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, following reports that three people had been injured. Two teachers – Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin – along with a child, were admitted to hospital for treatment after being stabbed by the child.

Earlier that morning, CCTV cameras captured the girl, who was aged 13 at the time, stabbing the hall floor with a knife. She was then seen speaking to Mrs Elias on two occasions – inside and outside the school building – before attacking her with a knife. When Mrs Hopkin stepped in to help, she was also injured.

A few minutes later, after being taken away from the two teachers, the girl was seen attacking a child with the same knife.

In her final summing up, barrister Caroline Rees KC, described the defendant as ‘a very complex young girl’.

“Her behaviour falls far beyond the ordinary,” she told the court. “We are dealing with a very complicated girl.”

Caroline Rees said that a psychological report described the defendant’s childhood as being ‘considerably adverse’ and that throughout the court hearing, the child had sat in the dock with her head bowed, as she continued to draw.

“There’s clearly a lot of work to be done here, but the more time she spent with her psychologist, the more she appeared to engage,” said Caroline Rees. “She is so young, but there is a real possibility for change. And for the first time, she will have the means of doing that.”

The defendant was sentenced to 15 years in detention, half of which will be served in custody, the remaining on licence upon her release.

”This means that the rest of your childhood and early adulthood will be spent in custody,” concluded Judge Thomas.

Following today’s sentencing, Detective Chief Superintendent Ross Evans of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “While this sentence marks the end of the criminal justice proceedings, and a year since the incident occurred, I understand that for the victims the impact remains ongoing.

“All three suffered physical harm at the hands of the defendant and although wounds can heal with time, it will take considerably longer to recover from the mental trauma her actions caused.

“We have heard from the victim impact statements that they relive the events on April 24, 2024 daily, which evidences the profound impact it had on their wellbeing. As we now leave the legal proceedings behind us, I wish all the victims well in their recovery.

“For the students who unfortunately witnessed such an act of violence as they went about their day, I sincerely hope they are still able to view their school as a place of safety, and that today’s sentence shows that any attempt to compromise school safety will not be tolerated.

“Finally, I would like to thank all our emergency services colleagues who responded on the day, along with the teachers and staff at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman. Thanks also to Carmarthenshire County Council for the professional way in which they dealt with the incident and to the local community for the support they offered to pupils.”

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

14 minutes ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.

Crime

Pembrokeshire man sent to Crown Court over death by careless driving charge

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been sent to the Crown Court to stand trial accused of causing a death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Alexander MacCallum, aged 28, of Beach Road, Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 18).

The court heard that MacCallum is charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving following an incident on Thursday (June 13, 2024).

No plea was entered at this stage of the proceedings.

Magistrates were told the case was too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ level and ordered that it be sent to the Crown Court for trial.

MacCallum was sent to the Crown Court on unconditional bail, with further proceedings to take place at a later date.

The prosecution was brought by Dyfed-Powys Police. No defence solicitor was formally recorded at the hearing.

Crime

Breakthrough in 1993 Tooze murders: 86-year-old man arrested after cold case review

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE investigating one of Wales’ most disturbing unsolved double murders have arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of killing elderly couple Harry and Megan Tooze more than three decades ago.

South Wales Police confirmed the arrest on Tuesday (Dec 17), following a forensic cold case review into the 1993 killings, which shocked the rural community of Llanharry and cast a long shadow over the South Wales justice system.

Harry Tooze, aged 64, and his wife Megan, 67, were found shot dead with a shotgun at their isolated Ty Ar y Waun farmhouse on July 26, 1993. Their bodies were discovered inside a cowshed on the property, concealed beneath carpet and hay bales, having been shot in the head at close range.

The brutality of the killings and the remoteness of the scene prompted one of the most high-profile murder investigations in Wales at the time.

Conviction later quashed

In 1995, Cheryl Tooze’s then-boyfriend, Jonathan Jones, was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. The prosecution case rested heavily on a partial fingerprint found on a teacup at the farmhouse.

However, the conviction unravelled just a year later. In 1996, the Court of Appeal quashed the verdict, ruling it unsafe and highlighting serious concerns about the reliability of the fingerprint evidence. The decision was widely regarded as a significant miscarriage of justice.

Jones, who consistently maintained his innocence, was supported throughout the ordeal by Cheryl Tooze, whom he later married. The couple have since spoken publicly about the devastating impact of the case on their lives.

Despite renewed appeals and periodic reviews, no one else was charged and the murders remained unresolved for nearly 30 years.

Operation Vega and forensic advances

In 2023, marking the 30th anniversary of the killings, South Wales Police launched a full cold case review under Operation Vega. The review was led by forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop, one of the UK’s most respected figures in forensic investigation.

Detectives re-examined preserved exhibits from the original crime scene using modern forensic and DNA techniques that were not available in the early 1990s. Police have not disclosed which items were re-analysed or what evidence led to the latest arrest.

On December 17, officers arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Harry and Megan Tooze. He remains in police custody while enquiries continue. No further details about the suspect have been released at this stage.

Police appeal for information

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Mark Lewis described the arrest as a significant moment, but stressed that the investigation is ongoing.

He said: “While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing. This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

“Even with the passage of time, I would urge anyone who has information about the murders, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and speak to police.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact South Wales Police, quoting occurrence number 2300016841.