Crime

Man accused of raping three women said to have ‘absolute indifference to consent’

Published

9 months ago

May 1, 2025

Prosecution: ‘Three women, 20 years apart — this is not a conspiracy, it is a pattern’

A CARMARTHEN man accused of raping three women over the course of two decades showed “absolute indifference” to consent, a jury has heard at Swansea Crown Court.

Daniel Gravell, aged 43, of Porth Y Plas in Johnstown, is standing trial for three counts of rape relating to alleged incidents in 2002, 2005, and 2022. He denies all charges.

Gravell, a former teacher and one-time manager of a local wedding venue, faced closing arguments on Thursday (Apr 30) after a week of disturbing and detailed evidence. Prosecuting counsel Matthew Cobbe told jurors that Gravell’s behaviour demonstrated a long-standing pattern of targeting women who were intoxicated or otherwise vulnerable.

Mr Cobbe said: “He is calculating. He is manipulative. And over a span of 20 years, he has shown complete indifference to whether the women he has sex with actually consent.”

Allegations span two decades
The court heard that the first alleged rape occurred in 2002 after a night out. The complainant said she had been drinking at a friend’s house before heading into town, but recalled waking at around 4:15am with Gravell on top of her. She said she told him to stop, but he continued — falsely telling her, “It’s OK, it’s [her ex-boyfriend’s name].” The jury heard that she told a friend she had been raped moments later.

Gravell’s own friend, who gave evidence last week, said Gravell had described the encounter using the same phrase — “It’s OK, it’s [name]” — and appeared to be boasting about it at the time.

The second allegation dates to June 2005 and relates to an alleged rape outside Carmarthen Athletic Club. The woman said Gravell approached her outside a pub on Lammas Street, said he knew her father, and lured her away. She claimed he then raped her near the club. Gravell told the court that while he recognised her from the area, the sex was consensual and took place with her facing away from him.

Mr Cobbe challenged this, asking the jury: “Is it really impossible to have sex vertically against a wall, as he claims? Or is it just part of a story that doesn’t add up?”

‘Spiked’ on night of 2022 allegation
The most recent incident is alleged to have occurred in February 2022 after a night out in Carmarthen. The complainant told relatives the next day that she believed her drink had been spiked — she woke up covered in vomit with no memory of how she got home.

A neighbour told the court he saw Gravell arrive at the complainant’s home that night and bang loudly on the door before being let in. Later, Gravell’s friend, the late Ieuan Davies, described walking in on the woman giving Gravell oral sex and shouting, “Go on, Gravsy!” as a joke.

Davies said the woman immediately pulled a sheet over herself and later appeared to be having sex with Gravell upstairs.

Gravell told the court the sex was entirely consensual. “She was on top of me, enjoying it,” he said. He claimed they had sex twice that night — the second time after he returned to the room in the early hours.

A taxi driver who took Gravell and the woman home earlier that evening said the pair seemed drunk but friendly, and he assumed they were a couple. The driver recalled Gravell saying, “I’ll show you trouble later,” which he took as a sexual innuendo.

Defence: ‘This case began with gossip’
Defence barrister Tom Crowther KC urged the jury to remain sceptical, questioning the reliability of the women’s accounts and the possibility of cross-contamination over time.

“This case began with the 2016 trial,” said Mr Crowther, referring to a previous occasion on which Gravell was acquitted of rape. “Since then, the rumour mill in Carmarthen has never stopped turning. Gossip has turned into allegations.”

He told the jury that the third complainant did not want to report Gravell and that it was only after her aunt contacted police that the investigation began.

“She didn’t want him prosecuted. She didn’t say his name in her first interview. She was trying to hide who she’d been with — possibly because she regretted it, not because it was rape,” said Mr Crowther.

He also questioned the consistency of the three complaints. “How is it that two of the complainants, who deny ever knowing or speaking to each other, both referred to themselves as the ‘mother hen’ of their friend group?”

Mr Crowther said each complainant had “added last-minute details” to their statements over time and reminded jurors that there was no physical evidence to support any of the three rape allegations. He said the 2005 allegation was particularly implausible given its location next to a busy rugby club and police station.

In response, Mr Cobbe asked the jury: “If these women are lying, then it is one of the most elaborate conspiracies you are ever likely to see. But they didn’t know each other. They aren’t working together. What are the odds that three women, 20 years apart, would independently lie about the same man?”

Judge to sum up before deliberations
Judge Geraint Walters is due to sum up the case on Friday (May 2), before the jury retires to consider its verdicts.

Gravell remains on bail and denies all charges.

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

1 hour ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

2 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

8 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.