Crime

Ministers urged to act over school violence ‘epidemic’

Published

8 months ago

May 2, 2025

SENEDD Members demanded urgent action to address an “epidemic” of violence after a 14-year-old became the first person convicted of attempted murder in a Welsh school.

Natasha Asghar led a debate in the aftermath of a schoolgirl being sentenced to 15 years’ detention on Monday for stabbing two teachers and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman.

The Conservatives’ shadow education secretary expressed concerns about record levels of physical assaults on teachers and a tripling of fixed-term exclusions from 2015 to 2023.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” she said, warning of chronic under-reporting of violence.

Ms Asghar pointed to “extremely concerning” statistics which showed the exclusion rate for pupils for additional learning needs more than doubled to almost 12%.

She told the Senedd: “Something is clearly seriously wrong when over 50% of pupils with ADHD have indeed been excluded during a school year.”

Ms Asghar said a union’s survey found nearly three in five teachers believe social media negatively impacts pupil behaviour, leading to increasing misogyny and sexism.

She quoted Sharron Daly, a teacher from Bridgend, as saying: “An awful lot of young people come to us… without boundaries… at home and then that comes into the classroom.”

Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell – whose brother, a teacher at the Carmarthenshire school, was hailed a hero after trying to restrain the girl – spoke of his deep personal regret.

Mr Campbell, who himself attended the school, said: “It’s a regret that’s echoed in the tight-knit, friendly community of Ammanford, amid horror that this kind of wholly intentional attack was perpetrated by a young woman with a knife in her hand. “

The former lecturer had no doubt the “pervasive” nature of social media has exacerbated issues such as bullying, misogyny and racism.

He added: “It is crucial, therefore, that we recognise the significant impact of social media on student behaviour and develop clear policies for schools to manage its negative influence.”

Addressing education secretary Lynne Neagle, he said: “A year has now passed since the events at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and no solutions have been proposed by the government on safety in schools. We cannot… wait for another similar attack before you respond.”

Labour’s Carolyn Thomas stressed that worrying trends following the pandemic around children and young people’s behaviour in school are not unique to Wales.

“Similar evidence is shown throughout the UK and even internationally,” she said.

Adam Price, who represents Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, told the Senedd: “The attack… has sent a tremor through every staff room and every kitchen table in the country.

“It is the lightning bolt that shows the storm already overhead; violence, once exceptional, is edging towards routine – an ugly new normal.”

Mr Price added: “The tragedy in Ammanford was not unforeseeable. No-one shouted louder than deputy head Ceri Myers: between January and the morning of the attack, he emailed the Welsh Government seven times pleading for guidance on challenging behaviour.

“In an interview with ITV, he said he was palmed off.

“The girl who stabbed Fiona Elias, Liz Hopkin and another pupil had already brought a knife into school the year before. The signs were there – the system didn’t see them.”

Responding to the debate on April 30, Lynne Neagle said Estyn will publish a thematic review on school behaviour on May 8 – the same day as a summit on the subject.

The education secretary told the Senedd: “I am deeply concerned about this, about the impact that poor behaviour has on our children’s ability to learn and succeed… on our education workforce… and about the impact that it has on the image of the profession.”

She refuted the notion that the then-deputy head was “palmed off”, saying: “Ceri Myers never wrote to [the] Welsh Government about anything to do with knives nor violence. He raised concerns about behaviour and in particular about things like vapes.

“He had a full response on a number of occasions and also met officials.”

Mr Price responded: “Here was a senior leader in Ysgol Dyffryn Aman setting out the truth and, well, the cabinet secretary was saying, ‘I refute that, I listen but if I don’t like what teachers are telling me then I’m going to ignore it.’ That’s unacceptable.”

Senedd Members voted 35-13 against the Tory motion, with Plaid Cymru’s amendment also falling before the Welsh Government’s amendment was agreed – 25-13 with ten abstaining.

Crime

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

Published

43 minutes 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

3 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.

Crime

Former police officer accused of making sexual remarks to women while on duty

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Court Reporter

Court hears allegations of inappropriate behaviour during official police visits

A FORMER police officer has appeared in court accused of making sexually inappropriate remarks to women he encountered while on duty.

Luke Silver, aged 34, is alleged to have abused his position as a police officer by making unwanted and explicit comments to two women during the course of official police business.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Silver attended one woman’s home following an incident involving her partner and took an initial statement. However, the woman told the court that Silver later returned to her address on several further occasions, during which the conversation allegedly became personal and sexual in nature.

She said the officer asked intrusive questions about her sex life and made comments about her appearance, which she found unsettling. In messages sent to a friend at the time, the woman described his behaviour as “inappropriate”, “strange” and “creepy”.

The court was told she later said she felt uncomfortable during the visits, claiming Silver behaved in an overly relaxed manner while speaking to her and made remarks that were entirely unrelated to the police matter he had attended for.

A second woman has also made allegations that Silver asked her sexually explicit questions and made comments about her body while acting in his capacity as a police officer.

Silver, formerly of Gwent Police and now living in Lamphey, Pembrokeshire, denies three counts of improper use of police powers or privileges. The alleged offences are said to have taken place in 2021.

The trial is continuing at Cardiff Crown Court.

(Image: WNS)