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Crime

Eight on trial over Ely riot as court hears officer engulfed in flames

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A TRIAL has begun at Newport Crown Court over the Ely riot in Cardiff, which followed the deaths of two teenagers in May 2023.

Prosecutors told the jury that police officers were pelted with bricks, bottles and fireworks, with one female officer engulfed in flames after a petrol bomb was thrown.

The violence erupted on May 22, 2023, hours after 16-year-old Kyrees Sullivan and 15-year-old Harvey Evans were killed when their Sur-Ron e-bike crashed on Snowden Road. Rumours spread quickly that a police van had been chasing the pair. Although CCTV showed a van following them earlier, investigators later found it was half a mile away at the time of the fatal crash.

Defendants in the dock

Eight people deny taking part in the riot: Lee Robinson, 38, of Heol Deva, Caerau; Luke Williams, 31, of Deere Place, Ely; Jaydan Baston, 21, of Heol Poyston, Caerau; Michaela Gonzales, 37, of Plymouth Wood Close, Ely; McKenzie Danks, 22, of Heol Trelai, Caerau; Jordan Bratcher, 27, of Glyndwr Road, Ely; Zayne Farrugia, 25, of Heol Ebwy, Caerau; and Connor O’Sullivan, 26, of Caerau Court Road, Caerau.

Opening the case, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: “A fire was set and fireworks thrown, cars trashed, overturned and set alight. A petrol bomb was thrown at a police officer and covered her in flames. It was carnage for several hours.”

Violence caught on camera

The jury was shown footage from body-worn cameras, drones and videos uploaded by members of the public. Cobbe said the evidence demonstrated the different roles played by the defendants, from throwing missiles to encouraging others.

Williams, the court heard, live-streamed the riot for more than an hour, telling viewers thousands were watching. He allegedly celebrated when an officer was injured, suggesting she should be “euthanised”.

Robinson, described as a “focal point” of the disorder, was filmed shouting at police officers and accusing them of being “the biggest organised crime group”. Others were seen throwing stones, glass bottles, or even footwear at officers.

Community impact

The court was told that several officers were injured and that residents’ cars, gardens and homes were damaged.

Cobbe told jurors: “It’s important to say the whole community didn’t support or condone this extraordinary violence. Many were bewildered and frightened, sheltering in their homes as mayhem unfolded in the street outside.”

The trial continues.

 

Crime

Two arrested after high-value shoplifting incident in Kilgetty

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TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting following a rapid police response to a reported high-value theft at a supermarket in Kilgetty.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to the Co-op store at around 3.35pm on Wednesday (Jan 28), after a report that a large quantity of alcohol and other items had been stolen.

Using information provided by the caller, Roads Policing Unit officers worked closely with control room staff to identify a vehicle believed to be involved. Several patrol cars were deployed, and the vehicle was located a short time later travelling east.

Police said the safety of all those involved was treated as a priority, with specialist Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) advice obtained while officers maintained constant observation of the vehicle.

The car was brought to a safe stop on a back road approaching Hendy, involving three Roads Policing Unit vehicles. No injuries or damage were reported.

Following roadside checks, two men — aged 67 and 46 — were arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop.

Both remain in police custody while enquiries continue.

Police said the swift response helped prevent further offending and demonstrated the effectiveness of specialist roads policing officers acting on real-time intelligence.

 

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Business

Eight-year prison sentence after vehicle stop uncovers drugs worth over £150,000

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A ROUTINE vehicle stop by roads policing officers has led to an eight-year prison sentence after more than £150,000 worth of illegal drugs were discovered in a car in Pembrokeshire.

On Friday, January 2, officers from the Roads Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Hoyland Road, Pembroke. The vehicle was being driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.

During the stop, Evans told officers they would find “stuff” in the car. He and the vehicle were subsequently searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A search of the boot uncovered a cardboard box containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine and ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be well in excess of £150,000.

Evans was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. He was later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs.

The 43-year-old pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, January 3.

On Thursday, January 28, Evans was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.

DC Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tackling the supply of illegal drugs is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police, and the misery that illegal drugs bring to local communities will not be tolerated.

“We welcome the sentence passed to Dean Evans, given the large quantity of harmful drugs he was caught trafficking into Pembrokeshire.

“This sentence should serve as a stark warning to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal drugs trade in Dyfed and Powys.”

 

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Crime

Former soldier jailed for stalking police officer over past arrest

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Defendant tracked down officer’s home address and sent threatening messages

A FORMER serviceman has been sent to prison after tracking down and harassing a police officer who had arrested him two years earlier.

Gareth Nicholas, aged 41, from Waunarlwydd in Swansea, targeted the officer by discovering his home address and sending a threatening message via Facebook, Swansea Crown Court heard.

The officer had been part of a police team that executed a Scottish arrest warrant at Nicholas’s home in May 2023. Two years later, in August 2025, the officer received an unexpected friend request on social media, followed shortly afterwards by a message that immediately caused concern.

The message began with the words “I found you” and accused the officer of unlawfully entering Nicholas’s property, assaulting him while he was in his underwear, and “abducting” him. Nicholas also claimed he had identified a pattern of corrupt behaviour within the police and issued a veiled threat, stating: “I will catch you down the Liberty son. Look forward to it,” a reference to Swansea City’s former stadium.

The situation escalated further days later when a handwritten letter was delivered to the officer’s former address. The new occupant contacted the officer to alert him to the letter, which repeated allegations of corruption and suggested the matter could be dropped if the officer assisted in exposing alleged police misconduct.

Nicholas was arrested on September 3 and admitted sending the communications, but denied at the time that his actions amounted to stalking.

In evidence, the officer told the court that while he had faced verbal abuse during his policing career, this incident felt different and deeply personal. He said his family installed CCTV cameras, security lighting and fencing, and put safety plans in place for their children. He added that he feared Nicholas had not let go of his perceived injustice and remained concerned the behaviour could continue.

The court heard Nicholas has a substantial criminal record in Scotland between 2019 and 2024, including convictions for stalking, malicious communications, threatening behaviour, domestic abuse offences and possession of ammunition without a licence.

Sentencing Nicholas, Judge Huw Rees acknowledged the trauma the defendant had experienced during military service, but warned him not to repeat the behaviour.

Nicholas, who appeared unrepresented, pleaded guilty to stalking and was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, reduced by 20 per cent for his early guilty plea. Having already served time on remand, his release is expected shortly. He was also made subject to a five-year restraining order banning any contact with the officer.

 

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