Crime

Carmarthenshire woman who poured boiling water on mice sentenced

Published

8 months ago

April 29, 2025

A WOMAN has been banned from keeping animals for seven years and handed a suspended prison sentence after pouring boiling water and bleach on a group of wild mice trapped in a wheelie bin.

Carys Ann Roberts, aged 28, of Cross Hands Road, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

Llanelli Magistrates’ Court heard that on 20 August 2024, at Maesawel, Black Lion Road, Cross Hands, Roberts caused unnecessary suffering to several small rodents — believed to be seven wild mice — by pouring bleach and boiling water over them, leading to burns and death.

Roberts had sent messages to a WhatsApp group of work colleagues, informing them of her intentions. Despite their pleas for her not to proceed, she carried out the act. The court heard she poured around half a bottle of bleach into the bin before adding boiling water from a kettle. After about five minutes, she placed the dead mice into a bin bag and left it out for collection the following day.

The matter was reported to police, who referred it to the RSPCA.

During sentencing on 17 April, the court was told that Roberts had apologised and claimed it was an error of judgement.

She was sentenced to 18 weeks’ custody, suspended for 18 months, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, and must pay £400 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge. Roberts was also banned from keeping animals for seven years.

In sentencing remarks, the District Judge said: “This was a serious offence. Animals feel pain just as we do and are protected by law.”

An independent expert veterinary report presented to the court stated that the boiling water would have caused “severe burns” and “serious pain.” It added: “If the burns are extensive and involve most of the skin surface, they are liable to be fatal. Equally, depending on the quantity of water poured into the bin, the rodents may potentially have drowned, causing further pain, distress, and suffering.”

The report also confirmed that bleach would have caused “chemical burns.”

The court heard that Roberts had access to humane alternatives, including the offer of help from a pest control company or the option to release the mice away from the property.

Speaking after the case, RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben said: “All animals — big and small — deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. These mice suffered greatly and died as a result of intentional actions. She had been offered an alternative and advised against what she did, but sadly the mice suffered unnecessarily.”

For those concerned about mice or other rodents, the RSPCA advises simple and humane deterrent methods.

Rebecca Machin, RSPCA Scientific and Policy Officer, said: “There are several kinds of mouse in the UK, and they are an important part of our wildlife. To deter mice around the home, the key is to remove sources of food that attract them. Food should be stored in airtight containers, and crumbs should be cleaned up.

“Cotton wool balls soaked in peppermint, eucalyptus, or spearmint oil may help deter rodents, and holes should be blocked with ‘mouse mesh’, a type of wire wool rodents cannot nibble through. In gardens, planting daffodils, wood hyacinth and alliums can also help, as rodents dislike them. Keeping gardens tidy and moving furniture can also deter them, as rodents dislike sudden changes.

“If deterrents do not work, a professional pest controller can remove rodents humanely. However, long-term success depends on removing whatever attracted them in the first place.”

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

6 hours 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

7 hours 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

10 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.