Brother found dead after neighbours raised alarm over distressed dog, Swansea Crown Court told

A MAN accused of murdering his brother is standing trial at Swansea Crown Court, where jurors heard harrowing evidence about the final hours of a 48-year-old man found dead at his home in Morriston.

Darren Steel, aged 41, from Morriston, Swansea, denies murdering his brother Martin Steel on May 20, 2023. He also faces an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Opening the prosecution case on Tuesday morning (Jan 27), prosecutor Andrew Jones told the jury that Martin Steel was discovered dead inside his flat at Hill View Crescent after neighbours became concerned when his dog was found whining alone in the garden at around 8.30am.

The court heard that neighbours attempted to alert Mr Steel but received no response. They took the dog into their home and noticed its fur was matted with a red-brown substance and that the animal appeared distressed.

Further attempts were made to get an answer at the flat before another neighbour suggested contacting Mr Steel’s mother, who had been due to go shopping with him that morning.

She arrived shortly afterwards but was unable to enter through the front door, which was deadlocked, or the back door, which had been chained shut. From inside the property, she heard a voice she recognised as belonging to her son Darren ask: “Who’s that?”

After identifying herself, she was asked: “Have you brought the police with you?”

She replied that she had not, and the door was then opened.

Upon entering the flat, she found Martin Steel slumped in a chair, his face covered in blood and his eyes and face severely swollen. Mr Jones told the court the injuries were consistent with what he described as an “aggressive, ferocious attack”.

The court heard that Martin Steel’s mother placed her hand on his forehead and checked for a pulse and heartbeat, but found none. His body was cold. She called 999 and, following instructions from the emergency call handler, moved him onto the floor.

Mr Jones told the jury that the defendant then fled the scene.

While tending to her son, she heard Darren Steel say: “He’s not dead,” after she said she could not find a pulse. She also described his eyes as looking “like a shark’s eyes”.

Emergency services arrived and attempted CPR, but Martin Steel was pronounced dead at 11.06am.

The court heard that Martin Steel suffered extensive injuries, including cuts, abrasions and bruising to his face and head, internal bruising, a fractured voice box and larynx horn, collapse of his airway, and a lower lip detached from his jaw. The injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma.

The prosecution say Darren Steel killed his brother during what was described as a “fit of extreme rage”. The defendant claims he acted in self-defence after being punched twice during an argument, saying he struck his brother four to five times lawfully.

Mr Jones told the jury that body-worn camera footage captured at the scene showed what he described as an “extreme violent attack” and “starkly exposes the lie” that Martin Steel was the aggressor.

After fleeing the flat, the defendant went to a friend’s address, where he arrived intoxicated and sobbing. He told the friend that an argument with his brother had “gone too far”. He was advised to hand himself in.

When a police van arrived nearby, officers asked the defendant to identify himself. He gave the name “Andrew Jones”. The friend mouthed his real name to officers, and Darren Steel was arrested and taken to Swansea Police Station.

At the police station, the court heard that the defendant said he had smoked heroin with his brother and his girlfriend. He claimed his brother had been “coming on to” his girlfriend and had punched him several times. He said he had stayed in the flat all night, placing pillows behind his brother’s head and neck, adding: “If he’s gone, it’s manslaughter.”

A post-mortem examination concluded that Martin Steel died from blunt impact trauma to the left side of his head and face and the front of his neck, together with airway impairment caused by the deliberate application of force to a vulnerable area of the body, consistent with an intention to kill.

A microscopic examination showed that Martin Steel survived for between three and six hours after the assault, during which time the defendant was present but did nothing to help him.

Mr Jones told the court: “This demonstrates he must have been in terrible pain and suffering for several hours. The defendant did not raise a finger to help him and did nothing to give his brother any chance of survival.

“The defendant’s only concern was purely for himself.”

Jurors were shown photographs and blood-spatter analysis which, the prosecution say, contradict the defendant’s claim that his brother was standing during the assault. Instead, the evidence was said to be consistent with a man being punched while seated in a chair.

Analysis of the defendant’s clothing suggested blood transfer occurred as the victim’s blood was beginning to clot, indicating what the prosecution described as prolonged violence.

The court also heard evidence about events in the days leading up to the death. Mr Jones told jurors that on May 18 and 19, 2023, the defendant was involved in what he described as escalating violence towards others.

The prosecution said Darren Steel had since been convicted of unlawful wounding after assaulting Julian Samuels by punching him, strapping him to a chair with parcel tape, continuing to strike him to the face and throat, pressing fingers into his eyes, and threatening to cut his throat.

The jury also heard that the defendant had been convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, Dawn Begley, at Martin Steel’s flat the night before the killing. CCTV footage was shown of him chasing her with a hammer and later grabbing her by the hair in the road.

Ms Begley told the court she believed she would have been killed had she been forced back into the flat.

Mr Jones said the earlier incidents demonstrated an escalating pattern of violence that culminated in Martin Steel’s death.

He told the jury: “Darren Steel was in a fit of rage and he took it out on his brother. Martin Steel was incapable of defending himself. He stood idly by as his brother’s life ebbed away.”

The trial continues at 10.30am on Wednesday (Jan 28).

LOCAL Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz has called on LINK to hold a face-to-face meeting in Pembroke Dock to discuss the forthcoming review of the decision that the town does not qualify for a Banking Hub.

With the 12-month review window now approaching, Mr Kurtz says it is vital that LINK hears directly from residents, businesses and community groups who have been affected by the loss of the town’s final bank branch.

Pembroke Dock has been without any in-person banking services since the closure of its last bank, a situation campaigners say has had a significant impact on older residents, vulnerable people and small businesses who rely on face-to-face support and access to cash.

Under LINK’s current rules, once an assessment has been carried out, a further review cannot normally take place for 12 months unless there has been a significant change in local cash access provision. That review period is now nearing its end, allowing a formal reassessment request to be made.

Mr Kurtz has been leading efforts over the past year to build the case for a Banking Hub, including writing to the Financial Conduct Authority and HM Treasury on the national framework governing access to cash, and raising concerns with the Welsh Government and the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales.

More than 1,500 residents and businesses have now signed a petition backing the call for a Banking Hub, a level of support Mr Kurtz says demonstrates the strength of feeling locally.

“Pembroke Dock has lost its last bank, and that has changed everyday life for many people,” Samuel Kurtz said. “Not everyone can bank online or travel to Carmarthen when there’s a problem. A face-to-face meeting in the community would allow LINK to hear first-hand how this decision is affecting real people.”

He added that holding the meeting locally would help ensure transparency and build confidence in the review process.

“This is about giving the community a fair hearing. If LINK is going to reassess its decision, it should do so with a clear understanding of local needs, and that means listening directly to those impacted. The last review was undertaken as a desk-based exercise and I’m asking LINK to come and visit to see for themselves the geography of South Pembrokeshire and understand that it is the wider community, and not just Pembroke Dock, that would use this facility.” he said.

Samuel Kurtz has written to LINK formally requesting that representatives attend a community meeting in Pembroke Dock ahead of the review.

Campaigners say they will continue to gather evidence and community support in the run-up to the reassessment and remain confident that Pembroke Dock meets the criteria and intent of the Banking Hub scheme. More information and the online petition are available at www.samuelkurtz.wales.

RAPUNZEL, Prince Nathaniel of Neyland, Mother Gothel, Zephyr the Puffin, Periwinkle and Belinda Beehive brought the Torch Theatre stage to life over the festive period with the hair-larious, zany pantomime Rapunzel.

The professional cast, featuring plenty of local talent, delivered a high-energy production that delighted audiences of all ages from across Pembrokeshire and beyond.

Following the sell-out success of Beauty and the Beast and the hugely popular Jack and the Beanstalk in recent years, Torch Theatre Artistic Director Chelsey Gillard was once again praised for her latest production.

Torch Theatre community reviewers Val Ruloff and Liam Dearden said: “The script was buzzing with the humming sound of a swarm of jokes flying in thick and fast, bubbling to overflow (much like Periwinkle the Sea Sprite) and bursting with energy.”

They added: “The musical score by James Williams is superb. It is such a privilege to have original music composed especially for the Torch pantomime. The numbers brought the whole production to life all over again, just as did the costumes, sets, props, lighting and special effects.

“The music, in combination with the scenes and sets, gave rise to some great set pieces and double acts, including the fabulous Bay Wash pop/rock group in the making, featuring the vocal talents, phantom guitar and drum-playing skills of Prince Nathaniel of Neyland and Dame Belinda Beehive.”

Chelsey Gillard said: “It was uplifting seeing so many of you coming to see Rapunzel – from schools to families. We had more entries than ever into our design competition – over 400 – and we loved coming along on the Milford Lantern Parade.

“The whole company enjoyed having your help on their undersea adventure; booing, hissing, singing and dancing along.”

More than 3,000 school children from across Pembrokeshire saw the pantomime, with six schools successfully securing financial support to attend through the Arts Council of Wales Go and See Fund.

Tim Howe, Senior Manager for Youth and Community at the Torch, said: “We were thrilled to see our auditorium filled with so many young people this Christmas. We know that pantomime is often the first spark of theatrical magic for a young person.

“We are grateful to the Arts Council for recognising the important role we play in introducing young people to the arts and helping to make these visits possible. Our commitment to these students continues beyond the curtain call, as every school receives a dedicated resource pack to bring the themes of the panto to life in the classroom. We can’t wait to do it all again next year.”

With the festive curtain now closed, plans are already well under way for the Torch’s 2026 pantomime, Puss in Boots, featuring a whisker of Western adventure.

Audiences are invited to brush up on their line-dancing moves as Puss helps our heroes find fame and fur-tune in Wild West Wales.

An Early Bird offer is currently available for the brand-new pantomime, which promises original songs, hiss-terical humour and plenty of local references.

A Relaxed Environment Performance will take place on Saturday, December 19, at 2:00pm, with a BSL Interpreted Performance on Tuesday, December 22, at 6:00pm.

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.torchtheatre.co.uk or contact the Box Office on (01646) 695267.