16-month sentence suspended as court imposes sex offender registration and ten-year prevention order

MAN in his sixties has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Huw Bridges, aged 65, of Haven Drive, Hakin, appeared at Swansea Crown Court today (Friday, Feb 20) for sentencing following a trial last month.

Bridges had denied two counts of sexual assault but was found guilty by a jury after around two-and-a-half hours of deliberations.

He was sentenced to sixteen months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. The court also imposed 180 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of 25 days.

Bridges was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting ten years.

The offences related to incidents involving a teenage girl who was aged 16 at the time.

During the trial, prosecutor Hannah George told the jury that one incident took place on June 2, 2024, when the complainant was taken by Bridges on his motorbike to a secluded area near Carew Castle.

The pair went for a walk, during which Bridges kissed the teenager despite her trying to move away and telling him she felt uncomfortable. He then went on to touch her breasts and vagina over her clothing.

The jury was told the teenager reported the incident to her parents almost immediately after returning home. At that point she also disclosed an earlier allegation dating from between October 2020 and October 2021, in which Bridges was accused of touching her vagina over her clothing on another occasion.

“The prosecution’s case is that the defendant had a sexual interest in teenage girls,” Ms George told the jury.

Bridges was arrested on June 14, 2024, and later interviewed by police. In a prepared statement he denied sexually assaulting the complainant.

He accepted there had been physical contact but claimed he had only put his arm around the teenager and “pecked her on the cheek” in an attempt to comfort her, insisting the gesture was not sexual in nature.

After the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts, Judge Geraint Walters adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report before imposing sentence today.

A MAN has been sentenced to life imprisonment after admitting the murder of his estranged wife in Cardiff.

Appearing at Cardiff Crown Court today (Feb 20), Thisara Weragalage, aged 38, of Pentwyn, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years and nine months for the murder of Nirodha Niwunhella.

Weragalage had initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea, admitting the offence before the court on January 16, 2025.

The family of 32-year-old Niwunhellage Dona Nirodha Kalapni Niwunhella, known as Nirodha, paid tribute following her death, describing her as “a cherished daughter, family member and dear friend to many”.

They said: “We remember Nirodha as a cherished daughter, family member and dear friend to many. Nirodha will be forever remembered with peace, love and gratitude.

“She touched many lives with her kindness and warmth and her memory will continue to inspire us. Though her life ended too soon, the love she shared will always remain with us.

“Rest in peace angel.”

In a victim personal statement read to the court, her father said: “My only daughter was Nirodha Kalpani Niwunhella. She was a happy, mischievous, playful girl who captivated everyone’s hearts as a child. She loved her mother and father dearly and was a very good friend to her friends. She was a sweet girl who also loved animals.”

He added: “I am 64 years old and my wife is also 64 years old. The pain and anguish we felt when we were informed on August 21 that our daughter had been murdered cannot be described in words. After the brutal murder of our only daughter, all our hopes were ruined. Her loss is an unbearable mental burden for the family.

“We faced a lot of problems because this crime took place abroad. We were further affected by communication difficulties and economic hardships. We were further hurt and mentally distressed after it was confirmed that this crime was committed by our daughter’s husband. We still cannot understand how he could have committed this heinous crime, as we loved him also as much as we loved our daughter.”

Emergency services were called to South Morgan Place in the Riverside area of Cardiff at 7.37am on August 21, following reports of a seriously injured woman. Officers located a broken knife blade and handle nearby, and a post-mortem examination later revealed Nirodha had been stabbed at least twenty times.

Police officers who arrived first at the scene began immediate first aid, followed shortly afterwards by paramedics. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses reported seeing a man — later identified as Weragalage — fleeing in a Ford Fiesta. Fast-track CCTV enquiries confirmed the vehicle was registered to him.

Less than an hour later, officers received a welfare-related call via the ambulance service concerning an incident on Seawall Road. Attending officers identified the man as matching the description circulated in connection with Nirodha’s death. A search of the nearby area located the Ford Fiesta, which contained blood inside, and Weragalage was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Graham Williams said: “Nirodha was beloved by her family and friends, and her life was ended by her jealous and cowardly former partner.

“Nirodha was in the process of separating from Weragalage, who could not accept that she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him. He brought knives to the area which he said were to intimidate her and then went on to murder her.

“I’m pleased he owned up to his cowardly actions and spared Nirodha’s loved ones from enduring a trial. While no sentence can compensate for this loss of life, I hope the end of criminal proceedings helps bring them some peace.

“This sentencing is the result of countless hours of work from teams across the force, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for their time and efforts to secure this outcome. I’d also like to thank those from the community who supported our investigation throughout.

“We will not stand for violence in any form, including violence against women and girls, and we will do everything in our power to hold those responsible to account.”

Compensation ordered under Proceeds of Crime Act following seven-minute raid that stole £90,000 worth of bikes

AN INDEPENDENT bike shop in Aberystwyth is set to receive nearly £77,350 under the Proceeds of Crime Act after its family-run business was targeted in a sophisticated burglary last year.

Four burglars wearing balaclavas smashed their way into Afan Cycles on the Glanyrafon Industrial Estate in the early hours of Saturday, April 12, 2025. Within just seven minutes, they stole 22 e-bikes and mountain bikes with a combined retail value of around £90,000, loading them into a van fitted with false number plates before fleeing the scene.

Following a complex investigation involving multiple police departments, officers were able to identify those responsible. Gareth Corbett, 37, Wayne Draisy, 41, Gavin Johnson, 40, and Keith Johnson, 33 — all from Birmingham — were arrested by West Mercia Police.

The group had conspired to steal bikes and other items from the Glanyrafon estate between April 7 and April 13, 2025. All four were charged with burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary and were remanded in custody. They pleaded guilty to both charges at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, May 19, 2025.

The business owner said: “We have built Afan Bikes over seven years with commitment, passion, and significant financial investment. This crime placed the business — and the livelihoods of our three full-time staff, myself, my wife, and our dependants — in a precarious position.

“While we are doing our best to keep going, the loss of assets, staff, income, and customer confidence has made this the most difficult period we have ever faced. Recovery will take time, resources, and community support — and even then, the future remains uncertain.

“We are grateful to the police for their swift response and hope that this statement provides a clear understanding of how far-reaching the impact of this crime has been, not just on our business, but on the wider community we support.”

On Friday (Aug 8, 2025), all four men were jailed for their roles in the burglary, receiving sentences of more than 30 months’ imprisonment for each offence, to run concurrently.

At Swansea Crown Court on Thursday (Feb 12), Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings were finalised. His Honour Judge Walters granted confiscation orders totalling £77,348.16, to be paid as compensation to the victims. Failure to pay could result in an additional 18-month prison sentence, alongside the forced sale of assets.

Helen Kelly, from the Economic Crime Team, said: “For this local family-run business, this incident had a significant impact. Whilst it will not fix what has happened, hopefully the compensation from this proceeding will help them in continuing to rebuild their business.

“I hope this sentencing serves as a reminder that if you are profiting from crime, we will not only arrest and charge you but use all available powers to ensure that you are not able to live off the proceeds of your criminal activity.”