News

Natasha Bradbury lay dying for ‘one to two hours’ with 53 injuries

Published

8 years ago

September 5, 2016

NATASHA BRADBURY suffered 53 separate, external injuries during a sustained and severe assault at her home in Haverfordwest, a doctor told a murder jury today.

And she lay dying for “one to two hours, hours not minutes” before her on-off boyfriend Luke George Jones dialled 999 and asked for an ambulance.

By then she was already “freezing cold” and paramedics were unable to revive her.

Jones, aged 33, of Haven Drive, Milford Haven, denies murdering Miss Bradbury at Flat A, Imperial Court, off the High Street, Haverfordwest, in the early hours of February 22.

The prosecution argue he was jealous and possessive and murdered Miss Bradbury, aged 27, just hours after being told she had slept with another man.

A jury at Swansea Crown Court today heard from Dr Deryk James, who carried out a post mortem examination on her body.

Dr James said he found 17 separate injuries to her face and head, and 13 to her neck and upper chest, including fractures to several ribs and a fracture to her spine.

“These are not injuries you get from a fall but from an assault. And not just one but many,” he said.

The injuries that would prove fatal had been caused to her liver, heart and brain, he added. A litre of blood had leaked out of her liver and into her stomach and there was a small tear in her heart.

Dr James said it would be “pretty bizarre” if the injuries could be explained by Miss Bradbury falling over or suffering a series of accidents.

Some of the injuries were of the sort seen after road traffic accidents or a severe assault.

“You don’t see these tears (to the liver and heart) in ordinary domestic falls,” he added. “It could be a stamp or being thrown against a hard surface at speed.

“The overall pattern is one of assault, a sustained and severe assault,” he said.

Dr James explained to the jury why he believed Miss Bradbury had survived for some time after the fatal injuries had been inflicted.

He said that after suffering injury the body sent inflammatory cells, and other types of cells, to the damaged area to begin the repair process.

A single medic had published a paper suggesting that process could begin as quickly as 35 minutes after impact.

But in his opinion the process did not begin for at least one to two hours.

The process certainly stopped at the point of death, he added.

But an examination of Miss Bradbury’s liver and heart revealed the process had been underway at both sites, which meant she must have remained alive “for hours rather than minutes” after those two attacks.

In addition, said Dr James, nerve fibres in her brain had begun to malfunction following the assault to her head, which was another process that took time to begin and did not take place after death.

There was no evidence, he added, that all the injuries were inflicted at the same time and he could not say that some had not been caused hours after others had.

Dr James said Jones himself had suffered small cuts and abrasions but he could not say when.

Cross examined by Chris Clee QC, the barrister leading Jones’ defence team, Dr James said he could not accept that all the injuries could have been caused by Jones kicking Miss Bradbury “forcefully” and her falling onto a glass coffee table, breaking it, and then onto a cabinet and then onto the floor.

And he could not accept that the injuries to her ribs and to her liver could have been caused by one impact.

“They were separate impacts,” he said.

The trial continues.

Crime

Police issue update following incident at Tenby multi-storey

Published

10 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Luke Sinclair

Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed this morning that they are investigating a collision on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park in Tenby, at around 4pm on Thursday, January 2.

The collision, police said, involved a grey Nissan Qashqai and a young child.

The child remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The family are being supported by specially trained officers.

One man, aged 33, has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving, drink driving, and drug driving. He remains in police custody.

Police issued a statement saying: “This is a tragic incident and is a live investigation.

“We ask that you do not speculate the circumstances and allow our officers to carry out their enquiries.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage that could help officers with their investigation is asked to report it to us, either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

Quote reference 25*6238”

News

Milford sex offender’s child abuse images ‘most disturbing imaginable’

Published

16 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Court Reporter

A 40-YEAR-OLD man from Pembrokeshire has been sentenced to 22 months in prison after being found with nearly 40,000 indecent images of children, including some of the most disturbing nature imaginable. Jason Church, a father of young children, appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he faced multiple charges related to child exploitation.

The investigation began when police traced suspicious online activity linked to Church’s home in Milford Haven. On August 23, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at his residence, during which Church admitted to having incriminating material on his mobile phone. He explicitly stated to the police, “It’s on my phone, what you’re looking for” when questioned about the nature of the images.

Upon examination of his Samsung device, authorities uncovered a staggering collection: 2,688 images classified as Category A (the most severe), along with 4,160 Category B images and an alarming 32,205 Category C images. Among these horrific images were videos depicting the sexual abuse of very young children, including a baby. Additionally, officers discovered a 170-page manual that provided detailed guidance on how to exploit children and evade detection.

In court, prosecutor Ashanti-Jade Walton highlighted the graphic content of the material found and emphasised the seriousness of Church’s offences. Despite his previous clean record, Church pleaded guilty to all charges against him. His defence barrister noted that Church was aware of the severity of his actions and had sought help from organizations aimed at preventing child exploitation.

Judge Huw Rees condemned Church’s actions as “unhealthy” and a significant danger to children. He stated, “These are not just images; they represent real victims,” reinforcing the gravity of Church’s crimes and the impact they have on real lives.

In addition to his prison sentence, Church is required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years following his release.

Community

Welsh Water distribute free cold weather lagging kits

Published

16 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Tom Sinclair

AS the winter season is in full swing and the temperature drops, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is offering free winter lagging kits to help households across Wales prepare for the colder months. With over 2,500 kits available, the initiative aims to assist residents in protecting their homes against frozen pipes and costly bursts.

Frozen pipes can lead to unwanted damage and unnecessary stress during the winter season, but with the right preparation the risks can be minimised.
The winter lagging kit includes pipe insulation and a tap jacket – with lagging designed to protect exposed pipes and a tap jacket to prevent outdoor taps from freezing and bursting.

“We understand how challenging winter can be for many people, which can be made worse should the unexpected happened – such as a experiencing a frozen or burst pipe,” said Euan Hampton, Water Demand – Delivery Manager at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. “To help ease the pressures winter can bring, we’re offering free pipe lagging kits and tap jackets as part of our ongoing commitment to helping communities stay safe, warm, and secure throughout the colder months.”

In addition to distributing free lagging kits and tap jackets. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water recommends the following tips to help residents prepare their homes:

Locate your stop tap: Knowing the location of your stop tap is essential in the case of an emergency. If your pipes freeze or burst, you’ll want to shut the water off to minimise damage.
Clear your gutters: Blocked gutters can lead to excess water accessing your home, especially during a storm.
Insulate pipes: Not only outdoor pipes need preparing, think of areas that may be at risk to cold weather – attics or uninsulated cupboards.
Fix those drips: Dripping taps can increase the risk of frozen pipes. Fixing it will also save you litres of water every day, saving both energy and money on your water bill.
Away from home? Empty buildings are at particular risk. If you’re leaving your home for a prolonged period, turn off your stop tap and drain down the system – so there is no water in the system to freeze. If you’re away for a short time, if you can, we suggest keeping your heating on low to help keep your home warm and prevent pipes from freezing.
The free kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To request a free winter lagging kit or tap jacket, customers can visit: www.dwrcymru.com/en/winter-ready

Alongside the helpful tips to prepare your home this winter and advice on how to manage any issues should they arise. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water are also offering free water efficiency home visits to all domestic customers – and the free lagging kit and tap jackets can be installed as part of the visit.

If you would like to find out more ways you could start saving, visit: www.dwrcymru.com/en/help-advice/cartref/water-efficiency-home-visit