News
[UPDATED] Natasha Bradbury killed in a ‘savage attack’
JEALOUS and possessive Luke Jones “literally” beat Natasha Bradbury to death in her own home just hours after she confessed to sleeping with another man, a jury heard today.
Jones, aged 33, then waited until her body was “freezing cold” before calling for an ambulance to her flat in High Street, Haverfordwest.
Then, said Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting, he made up a story about her smashing up her own home in Imperial Court and falling over.
Jones, of Haven Drive, Milford Haven, denies murdering Miss Bradbury in the early hours of February 22 and is on trial at Swansea Crown Court.
Mr Lewis said Jones and Miss Bradbury, 27, had been in an “on off” relationship for three years.
In the days leading up to her death the relationship was under strain, he said, and text messages between them showed Jones was suffering emotionally.
Mr Lewis read to the jury dozens of messages that were “clearly personal and sent in the belief that no-one else would ever see them.”
“This is not like Facebook,” he added. “They are private messages between two people in a relationship.”
But they illustrated, alleged Mr Lewis, a man feeling jealous and possessive and willing to put emotional pressure on Miss Bradbury to keep their relationship going.
“It is for you (the jury) to assess. But we say that at times he expresses love, at others distress.”
On February 19 Jones, a pipe welder, told his supervisor he was unwell and made an emergency appointment with his doctor.
Jones told him he had “anger problems” and complained of losing his temper too easily and was referred to an anger management course.
“You might want to bear that in mind when considering the events that followed,“ Mr Lewis told the jury
Miss Bradbury spent the night of February 20 at the home of her friend Rhiannon Watts at Priory Road, Milford Haven, and Jones tried 26 times to contact her by telephone, including 13 attempts between 4am and 5am on the 21st.
Jones, said Mr Lewis, had already sent Miss Bradbury a text message reading, “I’m told you are seeing someone else.”
Mr Lewis said Miss Watts and Miss Bradbury had been joined that night by two brothers, Daniel and Darryl McGuckin. Miss Watts was in a relationship with Daniel and Miss Bradbury slept with his brother, Darryl.
The following morning, said Mr Lewis, Miss Watts told Jones what had happened and Miss Bradbury also contacted him to say, “Look, I’m sorry. I slept with someone last night.”
The following day Jones sent messages to friends, one of which read: “I can’t believe she’s done that. My Head’s in the shed but I’m passed caring. I loved her and gave her everything but what do I get.”
Jones later drove to Miss Bradbury’s home and between 8pm and 10pm she sent “sexual and flirtatious” messages with Darryl McGuckin.
“That takes us to ten pm,” said Mr Lewis. “What then?”
NEIGHBOURS HEARD LOUD NOISES
Neighbours of Natasha Bradbury listened to more than two hours of “shouting, swearing and the noise of a flat being smashed up” the night she was allegedly beaten to death by her on-off boyfriend.
But they only ever heard the voice of a man, said Paul Lewis QC.
That man, it is alleged, was Luke George Jones
Mr Lewis said Lisa Smith, who also had a flat in Imperial Court, High Street, Haverfordwest, heard the noises from between 11.30pm and about 2am and thought Flat A, where Miss Bradbury lived, was being smashed up.
Another neighbour, Timothy Down, became so concerned he thought about calling the police but decided “not to get involved.”
“He could hear swearing and shouting. But he heard only a man’s voice,” added Mr Lewis.
The prosecution argue that Jones was in the process of beating Miss Bradbury to death, or had already done so.
Because at 2.48am Jones told a 999 operator that Miss Bradbury was already “freezing cold and her lips are blue.”
Mr Lewis played to the jury a recording of the 15 minute telephone call, which ended when a paramedic took the telephone from Jones and told the operator, “We could do with the police.”
It took Jones at least twelve attempts to explain to ambulance control where he was.
The operator instructed Jones on how to try and resuscitate Miss Bradbury by placing one hand on top of the other on her breast bone and pumping hard.
The operator could be heard telling Jones, “Pump hard. One, two, three, four. Again, one, two, three, four.”
The operator was interrupted by an ambulance crew who had arrived in Imperial Court but could not find “Flat A,” which was, in fact, a four storey high building.”
Then, a voice could be heard asking Jones, “How long has she been lying there.”
Jones replied, “For about an hour.”
The paramedic took the ‘phone from Jones and asked, “Is that ambulance control”
The operator told him that ambulance control had gone off the line.
Paramedic:“We could do with the police here.”
Operator:“Do you want me to put you through?”
Paramedic, “No, we are dealing with a patient.”
JONES REFUSED TO ANSWER POLICE QUESTIONS
Luke Jones refused to answer questions from police investigating the “murder” of Natasha Bradbury at her flat in the centre of Haverfordwest.
And the prepared, written statements he later handed over were dismissed today as “nothing more than a pack of lies intended to avoid the consequences of what he had done to her.”
Paul Lewis QC told the jury that Jones “largely” answered none of the questions put to him by police.
But he later provided a number of prepared statements.
“He said he used no violence at all towards her and that she had suffered the injuries as a result of falling over,” added Mr Lewis.
“In essence, he appeared to be saying that her extensive injuries were accidental.
“If he maintains that account it will be for you to decide how it was she suffered the injuries that resulted in her death,” he told the jury.
“You will consider his intentions and his state of mind.”
Mr Lewis said the truth was that Jones had inflicted on Miss Bradbury a savage attack that had caused widespread and fatal injuries.
Miss Bradbury suffered extensive, blunt force injuries to her head, face and body. She suffered fractures to her neck and a wrist and there was evidence of injury to her brain.
Her heart had been bruised and there had been bleeding in the sack containing the heart.
There was also an “extensive” laceration to her liver that had led to massive bleeding into her stomach area.
“In a nutshell, he beat her to death in her own home,” added Mr Lewis.
NATASHA’S BLOOD STAINED FLAT
The jury was provided with a pictorial walk through of the blood stained flat where Natasha Bradbury met her death.
The prosecution say she died after a savage attack by her on-off boyfriend, pipe welder Luke Jones.
Despite the address, said Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting, it was in fact a four storey high building.
As the photographs unfolded, blood stained items came into view.
There were blood stains on the door leading to her bedroom, and blood on the lip of the sink in her en-suite bathroom.
A bin had been overturned and the contents strewn around the bathroom. “You will hear more about that, about the contents, in due course,” Mr Lewis told the jury.
There were bloody hand marks on the banister of the stairs leading to the second floor kitchen, where “shattered crockery etc” could be seen.
There was blood on the kitchen walls, on a tissue lying on a work surface and in the kitchen sink.
There was also blood on a discarded cigarette end.
Mr Lewis said there was more blood on the banister of the stairs leading to the third floor, which contained the lounge where Miss Bradbury’s body was found.
In that room there was blood on the floor and a wall in addition to “widespread” damage.
A glass table had been smashed, as had a television, and there was glass around Miss Bradbury’s body.
The trial, expected to last two weeks, will continue tomorrow.
Crime
Over 120 Carmarthenshire people identified as ‘money mules’ in fraud probe

More than 120 people in Carmarthenshire, mostly living in the Llanelli area have handed over their personal bank details to criminals involved in money laundering in exchange for financial gifts.
Economic Crime Team officers from Dyfed-Powys Police identified the individuals as part of an ongoing criminal investigation and issued notices advising them to stop the activity immediately or face prosecution.
Throughout February, the team visited people who had been linked with a suspected fraudster, as part of Operation Henhouse – a month-long nationwide clampdown on fraud offences.
On speaking to those involved, officers learned how the individuals opened online bank accounts using their personal information and identification and gave their account login details to criminals in return for cash, who then used their bank accounts to launder money obtained through crime.
The team offered safeguarding advice and warned them about the dangers of opening bank accounts to be used by someone else for criminal activity.
Many were unaware of the implications of what they had done and thought it was an easy way to make some money. Some were given financial gifts ranging from £50 to £200, while others were promised money but did not receive it.
Dyfed-Powys Police Fraud Investigator Sian Stevens said: “Through intelligence, we were made aware of a fraudster who recruited a number of people in the Llanelli area to open bank accounts, which were then subsequently used for money laundering purposes.
“The Economic Crime Team visited over 120 individuals in February to explain that they had been used as a money mule – this is someone, who has allowed their bank account to be used to send criminal money. We issued them with cease and desist notice to interrupt any further fraud by making sure they were aware what they were doing was a criminal activity.
“Many of the people were linked to each other. Some were family members or in the same friendship groups, ranging from young adults to pensioners. The accounts had been opened as a direct or indirect interaction with the fraudster.
“For example, there were some instances where an individual opened a bank account after contact with the fraudster and then went on to tell their friends, ‘you can earn £50 if you open up a bank account and give the details to this person’ and so on. That was just one of many examples how the fraudster managed to obtain personal bank details.”
Dyfed-Powys Police Economic Crime Team Manager Paul Callard said: “People fall victim to fraud every day and the impact on victims can be devastating, both financially and emotionally.
“They can be taken advantage of by criminals and encouraged to allow their accounts to be used. People should be very careful about who they provide their personal information to.
“We will not tolerate fraudulent activity and will look to tackle criminals at every opportunity.”
How to avoid becoming a victim of fraud
- Always use the ABC of scam awareness. Never Assume or Believe a caller, email or text is genuine. Always Confirm by contacting a trusted relative, friend, your bank’s fraud department or the police to check it is genuine.
- Remember the police will never call you asking you to assist with an investigation by withdrawing cash for them to collect, or requesting to collect your bank card. If you receive a call purporting to be from the police and are unsure it is genuine, ring them back via 101 using a different telephone.
- Avoid clicking on links in emails and text messages from unknown sources, as they are liable to be a scam.
- Always use a strong and separate password for your email address by using three random words.
Do you know what will happen if you are caught allowing criminals to use your bank accounts to money launder?
You could face prosecution and go to prison for up to 14 years.
It will be difficult to get a phone contract.
Your bank accounts will be closed.
You will have problems applying for credit.
Community
Pembrokeshire projects are building success

PEMBROKESHIRE County Council’s Building Control Team is congratulating local building and design projects for success in the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2024.
The LABC Building Excellence Awards are the largest business to business awards in the building control sector.
They celebrate buildings and design teams that have overcome the challenges of complex technical and construction issues and put the spotlight on innovative and creative building work.

In Pembrokeshire, D & O Construction Ltd, Julian Bishop Architect, Redstone Architecture and AB Rogers & Son Ltd, Hayston Development & Planning Ltd all achieved success on some high profile local projects.
In the Regional LABC Building Excellence Awards 2024, Berry Lodge, Newport won the Best Residential Extension in Wales prize with work carried out by D & O Construction Ltd and with agents Julian Bishop Architect and Redstone Architecture.
Highly Commended was the development at Plas Y Castell, Llawhaden, carried out by AB Rogers & Son Ltd and Hayston Development & Planning Ltd.
The Berry Lodge development then went forward to the Grand Finals at Grovesnor House in London where the top projects across the UK were celebrated.

Council Building Control Manager Sam Goodwin said: “Building Control is delighted to work on these projects which highlight the skill and innovation of developers locally.
“Pembrokeshire County Council Building Control is proud to be part of LABC Awards. The Local Authority Building Control (LABC) awards were set up to celebrate excellence achieved through high building standards, technical innovation and sustainable designs.
“The Awards are an opportunity for the industry to celebrate good building practice and winners demonstrate how positive working relationships with local Council building control teams achieve high quality, sustainable buildings.
“The awards are unique because they recognise how this cooperation improves building standards and professionalism across the industry and it is great to see local contractors, agents and designers within Pembrokeshire receive recognition in achieving these standards.”
If you would like to contact Building Control at Pembrokeshire County Council, please contact Building Control via the website www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/building-control or alternatively contact 01437 764551
Community
Forties dance to mark end of Second World War

PEMBROKE DOCK will step back in time this summer to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, with a special one-off Forties-themed dance.
The event, taking place on Saturday, June 21, will commemorate both VE Day and VJ Day in a night filled with 1940s fashion, music, and nostalgia. It will be held in a 400-capacity marquee at the former Royal Dockyard, generously sponsored by the Port of Milford Haven and supported by street food vendors.
Organised by the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre team, the dance will also raise funds for a unique heritage project – returning the RAF Pembroke Dock Memorial Window to the town. The memorial has been on display at the RAF Museum in London for the past 30 years.
Wartime favourites will be brought to life by the renowned Phil Dando Big Band, making a welcome return to Pembroke Dock. The band, known for its Glenn Miller-era repertoire, has delighted local audiences in previous Forties dances that saw guests turn out in period fashion and vintage military uniforms.
Peter and Marilyn Mitchell, long-standing members of the Heritage Centre’s volunteer team, are already planning their outfits.
“Check out local charity shops for wartime-era fashions,” they said. “Forties fashion was stylish, and it’s surprising what you can still find today – or recreate quite easily and affordably.”
Tickets for the dance cost £25 and are available via Eventbrite, directly from the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre (01646 684220), or from the Pembroke Dock Town Council offices on Dimond Street.
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Michael Davies
September 2, 2016 at 1:02 pm
Hang the bastard. Then’ friend’ too.