Court hears infant suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries after violent attack in Ceredigion home

A COURT has heard how a two-month-old baby was hurled with force at a television screen by their own father, causing multiple life-threatening injuries.

Rhidian Jamieson, 29, had been left in sole care of the infant at a property in Y Verwig, near Cardigan, on the afternoon of January 15, 2025. When the baby’s mother returned to the address a short time later, she found the child concealed beneath a duvet and fighting for life.

Sentencing Jamieson at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, Judge Paul Thomas KC said: “The mother entrusted you with the care of her child and could not, in her worst nightmares, have imagined what you would do to that baby.

“For reasons you have never explained and have never had the courage to explain, you threw the baby with great force at a television.

“It would have been totally obvious to you that the baby had potentially been fatally injured, yet you didn’t even bother to check whether the child was alive. Instead, like the coward you are, you left the baby concealed under a duvet.”

Judge Thomas went on to say that attempts by the probation service to prepare a report prior to Jamieson’s sentencing failed, following his refusal to attend an interview with a probation officer whilst on prison remand.

“You refused to co-operate with probation, saying you weren’t going to attend the interview because you’d rather use the prison gym,” said Judge Thomas. “That was an opportunity for you to express your regret for what you did and explain why you acted the way you did.

“You will now have opportunities to take advantage of the free prison gym facilities for many years to come.”

The court was told that shortly after the attack, Jamieson contacted his gaming associates online, telling them that he had “snapped, lost it and thrown the baby at the television”.

Later that evening, Jamieson was arrested in Cardigan town centre. Whilst detained, he made unsolicited comments to police officers stating that he believed he had killed the child. He later attempted to blame another individual for the injuries, but police investigations confirmed that this person had not been present at the property at the time.

Emergency services arrived at the Y Ferwig address at around 10:15pm where they found the two-month-old baby lying beneath a duvet. The infant was rushed to West Wales General Hospital before being transferred to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff due to the severity of the injuries.

There doctors identified a brain bleed, a fractured skull, bleeding to both eyes, extensive bruising and swelling to the face and limbs.

“These injuries are totally life-changing,” Judge Thomas said. “They include irreversible brain damage, loss of vision and the possibility of epilepsy for the rest of the child’s life.

“The baby will never have anything like the normal life that would have been expected had you not catastrophically lost your temper that day.”

Members of the child’s family described Jamieson as “a monster”, “a pathetic man-child” and “a disgusting person” in victim impact statements read out to the court.

Jamieson pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of the child in April 2025 but later applied to vacate his plea. That application was refused by Judge Thomas, who adjourned sentencing until Monday (January 12).

The judge said he was appalled by Jamieson’s conduct since the offence.

“You haven’t shown a scintilla of remorse for the appalling, life-changing injuries inflicted on a helpless two-month-old baby,” he said. “Instead, you have wallowed in self-pity and did not even have the strength to attend court today to hear your sentence.”

At the start of proceedings, the court was handed a note stating that Jamieson would not attend as he believed he had been “wrongfully charged” and had “suffered enough mentally”.

Jamieson was sentenced to 35 years in prison, with two-thirds of the term to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.

Judge Thomas also imposed a lifelong restriction preventing Jamieson from ever having unsupervised contact with children.

“This will apply long after your release from prison, which will be many years from now,” he concluded.

Call for closer partnership with business ahead of May elections

WITH just over 100 days to go until the Senedd elections in May, Institute of Directors Wales has published a new manifesto urging the next Welsh Government to work more closely with business and create the conditions needed for long-term, sustainable economic growth across Wales.

The manifesto draws on IoD Wales’ latest State of the Nation survey, which highlights the key pressures facing firms. Skills shortages remain the biggest concern for businesses in Wales, cited by 39 per cent of respondents. This is followed by policy uncertainty at 36 per cent, and the rising cost of labour and materials at 29 per cent — challenges the organisation warns could constrain investment, productivity and growth if left unresolved.

To unlock Wales’ economic potential, IoD Wales is calling on the next administration at the Senedd to simplify access to business support by improving the visibility of advice and funding, while investing in infrastructure that directly supports economic development and connectivity across sectors.

The manifesto also urges ministers to embed skills development at every stage — from education and vocational routes through to lifelong learning and professional development for directors — in order to address both current and future skills gaps. In addition, it calls for greater long-term certainty by aligning investment with sectors where Wales has clear strengths and adopting a more place-based approach to economic development.

Cross-border collaboration, particularly with England, is also highlighted as a priority to make better use of shared resources, talent and market opportunities.

Commenting on the launch, Richard Selby MBE DL, co-founder of Pro Steel Engineering and national chair of IoD Wales, said the manifesto was being published at a “pivotal moment” for the country.

He said: “With major economic choices ahead, the next Welsh Government must focus on creating a genuinely pro-business environment that supports entrepreneurship, encourages innovation and attracts investment across all parts of Wales.

“This manifesto sets out a positive and practical vision for how collaboration, strong governance and responsible leadership can help unlock sustainable growth.”

Marc Strathie, senior policy adviser for devolved nations at the Institute of Directors, said the document reflected extensive engagement with members and the realities facing firms on the ground.

He added: “From persistent skills shortages to ongoing policy uncertainty, these are real challenges for Welsh businesses. The manifesto sets out practical, deliverable recommendations, and directors across Wales stand ready to play their part in building a more confident, enterprising and prosperous nation.”

The IoD Wales manifesto is available online and can be accessed in both English and Welsh.

NADHIM ZAHAWI has defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, becoming Nigel Farage’s highest-profile political recruit to date and delivering a fresh blow to the Tories’ attempts to rebuild after last year’s general election defeat.

The former chancellor, who served briefly in the role under Rishi Sunak, was unveiled at a Reform UK press conference in London on Monday morning alongside party leader Nigel Farage.

Zahawi, who was sacked from the cabinet in 2023 following a dispute with HM Revenue and Customs over his tax affairs, said he had reflected deeply on his time in government and concluded that Britain “needs Reform”.

Speaking to reporters, Zahawi said he could have stepped away from politics altogether, noting that he now chairs one of the UK’s largest retailers. However, he said he felt a duty to act as the country entered what he described as a “dark and dangerous chapter”.

“We can all see that our beautiful, ancient, kind, magical island story has reached a dark and dangerous chapter,” he said. “You know in your heart of hearts that our wonderful country is sick.”

He argued that Westminster had become detached from the lived experience of people struggling to access GP appointments, facing rising taxes, or concerned about freedom of expression and education policy.

Tax row played down

Zahawi was challenged on whether his tax settlement undermined Reform UK’s anti-establishment credentials.

Responding, he said his mistake had been failing to be sufficiently specific with the Cabinet Office about the settlement he reached with HMRC. He did not dispute the findings that led to his dismissal from government.

Farage moved quickly to downplay the issue, saying tax disputes were commonplace among senior business figures.

“There’s nobody with a complex business empire that does not have to have negotiations at some point with HMRC,” he said.

Farage also compared Zahawi’s treatment to criticism faced by Reform’s London mayoral candidate, Laila Cunningham, who was attacked last week over past business failures. In the United States, he said, such failures were often seen as part of the route to success.

Attack on ‘administrative state’

In a wide-ranging speech, Zahawi accepted that the Conservatives bore responsibility for many of the country’s problems, saying he now regretted what he described as the party’s “timidity” in government.

He blamed what he called “over-mighty bureaucratic inertia” for restricting individual liberty and stifling economic growth, arguing that power had drained from parliament to unelected bodies.

While stressing his respect for civil servants as individuals, he said collectively they had turned the UK into “an administrative state”.

Zahawi also criticised Conservative failures on mass migration, defence spending and legislation he described as “virtue signalling”, saying these had provided “painful lessons” that brought him to Reform UK.

Concluding the event, Farage said: “Britain needs Reform.”