Crime

14-year-old girl jailed for attempted Ammanford murders

Published

11 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

Woman fined over £1,000 for illegally collecting rent without a licence

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A HAVERFORDWEST woman has been ordered to pay more than £1,000 after admitting to unlawfully collecting rent at a property she was not licensed to manage.

Majeda Sikdar appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court where she pleaded guilty to the offence, which took place at a property on Tasker Way in the town last April.

The court handed Sikdar a total bill of £1,046, made up of a £293 fine, £636 in costs, and a £117 surcharge.

Crime

Dangerous driver sentenced following a police chase through Carmarthenshire streets

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A DANGEROUS driver has been sentenced after attempting to evade the police and hitting speeds of up to 70mph in residential streets.

Liam Williams, 31, from Station Road in Llanelli, was arrested on February 23 after he failed to stop for officers whilst driving without a valid licence and under the influence of drugs.

His black Jaguar XF was spotted travelling along New Dock Road, Llanelli, at around 2am. Williams quickly accelerated away from officers after turning into a residential area. Despite being warned to stop with blue lights, he reached an estimated speed of 50mph over the speed bumps on the 20mph road.

He then cut across a junction and turned on to the 40mph coastal road on the wrong side of a bollard. He continued to reach around 80mph to try and get away from pursuing officers.

Williams was unaware that Dyfed-Powys officers had set up a stinger site to puncture his tyres further along the road. He sped through the stinger site and continued towards the sandpiper roundabout. He reached speeds of 70mph and then appeared to lose control of the car at the roundabout. Officers noted that his front offside tyre was deflated and his brake disc was red hot and sparking.

Despite this, Williams exited the roundabout towards Llanelli town centre and appeared to lose control again. Officers attempted to pass him as he accelerated back up to speeds around 50mph on the 20mph road. Williams turned into smaller side streets to try and escape but was quickly followed by supporting officers.

As he returned to the main road towards Llanelli town centre, officers moved to box the vehicle in. The pursuit quickly came to an end and Williams was arrested for multiple offences.

A drug wipe showed that Williams was under the influence of cocaine. A further blood specimen was taken in custody, before he was charged and remanded.

He appeared in Llanelli Magistrates Court on Tuesday 10th March. He was found guilty of dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

Williams was handed a 34-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months. He was disqualified from driving for 34 months, followed by an extended re-test. He must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and pay £85 in court costs and a £187 surcharge.

Crime

Man jailed for romance fraud after conning three women out of nearly £50,000

Published

2 days ago

March 12, 2026

Court Reporter

A CARDIFF man who used fake identities on dating sites to defraud three women of almost £50,000 has been jailed.

Rodney Roberts, aged 40, of Trowbridge, Cardiff, was sentenced at Newport Crown Court to five years and one month in prison after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation.

Officers from the Proactive Economic Crime Team at the Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), working with South Wales Police, found that Roberts defrauded three victims of a combined £49,580 between 2021 and 2024. He contacted the women through online dating and social media platforms while using the false name “Paul Smith”.

Roberts first contacted a victim in February 2021. He initially claimed to be an American from California working in the UK as an attorney and financier. He later told the victim this was merely a cover story and that he was in fact an intelligence agent. Roberts claimed that because of his work he did not have direct control of his finances and asked the victim for financial help.

During the relationship he persuaded the woman to invest money in a fictitious investment company. He also assisted her in selling her home so she could invest more money into the scheme and encouraged her to open a bank account in her name for him to use. Unknown to the victim, Roberts also opened a cryptocurrency account in her name.

Roberts contacted a second victim in October 2022. Again he encouraged her to invest in what he claimed was a lucrative opportunity promising high returns. He showed her screenshots which appeared to show the investment growing in value, but these images were fabricated. Throughout the relationship Roberts repeatedly gave excuses for why he was unable to repay the money.

He contacted a third victim in March 2024, this time claiming to be an American television producer working for the BBC on a two-year visa. Roberts told the victim he was struggling to access his American bank accounts and asked for money to help him put down a deposit on a flat. As before, he used fake screenshots of accounts to convince her the investment was genuine, before providing excuses as to why the borrowed money could not be returned.

The third victim eventually became suspicious and carried out online searches, which led her to two historic news reports detailing previous fraud offences committed by Roberts under the alias Paul Smith. She then contacted South Wales Police.

Detective Constable Amanda Davies, of Tarian ROCU, said romance fraud was a growing and highly damaging crime.

“Offenders deliberately exploit trust and vulnerability,” she said. “Victims are often left with not only significant financial losses but also psychological distress and embarrassment, which can prevent them from reporting the offence.

“I am pleased with the sentence handed down today and hope it sends a message to others who would behave in such an abhorrent way for financial gain.

“I would also like to recognise the courage shown by the victims in helping us pursue a conviction and bring Roberts to justice.”

DC Davies urged anyone forming relationships online to remain cautious.

“Common warning signs include requests for money, reluctance to meet in person or by video call, or pressure to keep a relationship secret. Another warning sign is ‘love bombing’, where a new or prospective partner overwhelms someone with excessive attention, affection or grand gestures early in the relationship.

“Fraudsters are skilled at creating narratives that sound believable. If something feels too good to be true, trust your instincts and speak to friends or family.

“If you believe you may have been a victim of romance fraud, report it to Action Fraud.”

She added that Tarian ROCU would continue to pursue fraudsters and bring them before the courts.