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Serious sex offender jailed for 10 years traced by shoe print and DNA

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Andrew Edwin Check: A footprint contributed to his arrest

A SHOE print, DNA and traditional policing helped Dyfed-Powys Police track down a dangerous offender who committed a serious sexual assault in Tenby.

In the early hours of Monday, January 9, Andrew Edwin Check, aged 30, climbed through a window of a house, found the victim in her bed and subjected her to a serious sexual assault whilst in possession of a knife.

Today (Mar 27) he was sentenced for 10 years after admitting two counts of assault by penetration. He will be on licence after his eventual release until 2034 after a judge ruled he was a dangerous offender as defined by law.

Nicola Powell, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court how the woman woke in the middle of the night to find Check standing over her in her bedroom.

He was wearing black gloves and holding a knife.

Check, a stranger to the woman, put his hands over her mouth to prevent her from screaming and later placed a pillow over her face.

Miss Powell said his victim feared she was going to be raped and thought that he was carrying out a scene he had seen in a pornographic film. But she maintained sufficient presence of mind to eventually talk him out of continuing the attack.

In a victim impact statement she said she now suffered from nightmares, anxiety and panic attacks

“I am unable to sleep and I don’t know how and when I will recover my life again,” she added.

Check’s barrister, Catherine Richards, said he now realised he had been addicted to adult pornography.

Judge Keith Thomas said Check should be viewed as a dangerous offender and, as such, would not be released from jail until he was no longer a threat to society.

He told Check: “Such an offence rightly frightens and horrifies people in equal measure.

“You carried out the attack in a callous and determined way.”

During the investigation, a footwear mark was recovered by Crime Scene Investigators, which was believed to belong to the offender.

Using specialist technology, a national database and the eye of the force’s footwear specialist, the type of footwear was identified as a particular type of Fred Perry trainer.

This information was passed on to officers undertaking house to house enquiries in Tenby and helped identify Check as a suspect.

DNA evidence of the victim was later found on a glove located in the home of Check.

This evidence proved conclusively that Check was responsible for the crime and led to him submitting a guilty plea at Swansea Crown Court.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Ifan Charles said: “This was a particularly disturbing incident and I am pleased to see justice served today for the victim and the community of Tenby with the sentencing of Andrew Edwin Check.

“There is no doubt that the specialist work of the Scientific Support Unit coupled with the vigilance of officers during their local enquiries led to Check being identified, arrested, charged and convicted.

Footprint: A picture from the police’s evidence

“I must also thank the victim of this horrible crime for her bravery during the investigation. Despite going through a most distressing experience she remained composed, provided police with a detailed description of the offender, vital information of the incident and followed advice on preserving evidence, which assisted greatly in the investigation to catch her attacker.”

Nicola Powell, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The evidence obtained and support of the victim meant the CPS could advise on charges at an early stage.  It also meant that we had a strong case which resulted in a guilty plea. What happened to the victim was truly frightening, and the guilty plea removed the need for her to relive the incident at Court. Her cooperation throughout this process has led to Andrew Check being brought to justice.”

After receiving a report of the incident, CSI attended and worked through the night capturing potential evidence from the scene. They recovered a footwear print from the scene and processed the image allowing it to be analysed by the force’s footwear specialist back at police Headquarters.

Dyfed-Powys Police uses the latest advancements in footwear identification, including footwear scanning equipment, access to a national databased containing almost 38,000 images of different classifications of footwear prints and providing appropriate training and qualifications for the specialist role to be performed.

Footwear Officer, Adele Benjafield, said: “The evidential value of footwear is becoming more recognised. Its value is on a par with finger prints and DNA samples and scans of footwear are routinely taken of people who come through our custody suites.

“In this investigation, we were fortunate to retrieve footwear prints from the scene, which is down to the weather conditions that night and the fact that the victim had not touched or moved anything prior to CSI attending.”

Adele spent several hours scanning the database searching for a pattern match. She found a shoe that matched the various elements of the pattern and it was a particular design of Fred Perry trainer.

Database: The police searched for a hit

“I urge officers not to become transfixed on the brand of shoe normally, as it’s the pattern of the sole that is important, however the brand proved crucial in this investigation,” she said.

Officers took the footwear analysis work on board and during local enquiries spotted a pair of Fred Perry trainers matching the description. While this turned out not to be the actual pair of shoes worn during the attack, it provided a substantial link to the suspect. He was arrested soon after.

She said: “When I found out the footwear analysis had provided a link to the suspect my first reaction was feeling pleased that the work I’d carried out had led to this dangerous man being located. I then felt impressed that the police officers making local enquiries had understood the importance of the footwear analysis. The science is only as good as the humans using it. I did the work to identify the footwear, but if officers had not taken that on board and used the information they had, it would not have been worth anything.”

Another key piece of evidence in the prosecution case was the finding of the victim’s DNA on a black glove found at the suspect’s home. DNA-17 – the latest DNA profiling methodology – was used.

Assistant Director of Scientific Support, Glan Thomas, said: “We use the latest technology and methods to retrieve DNA from pieces of evidence and scenes of crime. DNA-17 methodology was used in this investigation and we were able to retrieve the victim’s DNA from a black glove found at the suspect’s home, which positively linked him to the attack.

“I’m pleased the Scientific Support Unit was able to play such a pivotal role in helping bring Check to justice. We have a team of highly-skilled, experienced specialists who work alongside hard-working and effective detectives. Solving a crime such as this and preventing anyone else from being harmed is what this job is all about.”

Crime

Carmarthenshire kidnap victim speaks out: ‘I thought I was going to die’

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THE MUSIC producer lured to West Wales and brutally assaulted in a staged kidnap plot has spoken publicly for the first time, telling The Guardian of the terror he faced and the long road to recovery.

Itay Kashti, 45, was beaten, handcuffed, and left bleeding in a remote cottage in Carmarthenshire in August 2024, after being tricked into travelling from London for what he believed was a professional music camp. He said he feared he would never see his wife or children again.

Brave survivor – Itay Kashti has spoken publicly about his ordeal for the first time

“I thought: ‘This is it. I’m going to die and this is the end of my story.’ I felt it was the final scene from a movie. I was thinking about my children,” he told The Guardian’s Steven Morris in an emotional interview.

Three men – Faiz Shah and Mohammad Comrie, both 22, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, 20 – were each sentenced last week to eight years and one month in custody after admitting kidnap at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard the group deliberately targeted Mr Kashti because they believed he was wealthy and, according to the judge, possibly because of his Jewish heritage. “I was stigmatised and dehumanised,” said Mr Kashti. “The assumption was that a rich Jew lives in London, works in music, he must have money.”

He described how the men had posed as representatives of a music label and invited him to a songwriting camp in Wales. At first, the offer seemed legitimate. “They sounded a little bit green but they didn’t sound suspicious in any way,” he said. “The arrangement was that they would send a car to pick me up. They did mention I didn’t have to bring anything, but I took my Martin acoustic guitar.”

Upon entering the cottage in Llanybydder, he was ambushed. “Three guys, all masked, jumped at me and started hitting and kicking me on the head,” he said. “They said they were going to kill me. They chained me, handcuffed me to a pipe that came out of the radiator.”

Bloodied and terrified, he lay on the floor trying to make sense of what had happened and why. “I live a peaceful life and I’m not a political person. There was no reason to go for a person like myself.”

He later learned the attackers had panicked and fled. Using sheer determination, Mr Kashti freed himself, grabbed his phone – and his guitar – and escaped. “I didn’t want to leave the guitar. I dragged it along,” he said, showing bloodstains still visible on the case.

He hid in bushes and called his wife and police. Officers arrived within 20 minutes and launched a major operation, eventually finding the three men hiding in fields nearby. The response included a helicopter and specialist search teams.

Mr Kashti, originally from Israel and now a UK citizen, was left with serious facial injuries. His eyes were so swollen that he said he looked like a boxer after a brutal match. Doctors in Wales and at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London helped with his physical recovery.

But the emotional scars are taking longer to heal. “We all have a safety bubble. And that safety bubble has been burst for me,” he said. “When new people reach out, I have to be more vigilant. I’m more conscious of trouble that could emerge, danger that could happen. I guess it’s going to take me some time until I feel fully settled.”

Mr Kashti said most people didn’t know what he had been through. “You can’t just break it in a conversation and move on.”

Despite everything, he holds no hatred for his attackers. “I hope that the jail experience will turn them into better people. If they do turn into better people, then it was worth locking them up.”

His bravery in speaking out has been praised by supporters, including members of the Community Security Trust (CST), who have supported him since the attack. Police have also recognised his strength throughout the investigation and trial process.

The Herald understands the gang hoped to extort a million-pound ransom, though the plot quickly unravelled. The case has shocked both the music industry and the wider community, with many calling for greater awareness of the risks posed by online impersonation and targeted hate crimes.

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News

Ferry disruptions hit Fishguard-Rosslare route

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THE STENA LINE ferry service between Fishguard and Rosslare has faced a wave of cancellations this weekend, leaving many passengers stranded or forced to find alternative travel arrangements.

A combination of technical issues aboard the Stena Nordica and poor weather conditions has disrupted multiple crossings since Saturday (Apr 5), with the vessel currently unable to depart Fishguard until tomorrow afternoon (Monday, Apr 7).

The first signs of trouble emerged on Saturday when the 2:00pm sailing from Fishguard was delayed and ultimately cancelled. As a result, the evening return trip from Rosslare was also scrapped.

Stena Line advised affected passengers that they could rebook or divert to the Holyhead to Dublin route. Some opted to remain on board the Nordica in the hope that the vessel would sail at 1:30am on Sunday (Apr 6), but that service was also cancelled.

Among those caught up in the disruption was ferry enthusiast George Holland, who had boarded for a planned day trip. “There were 96 cars on board and lots of families getting away for the school holidays,” he told The Herald. “The crew were under pressure but stayed upbeat and professional. They did a fantastic job of keeping everyone informed and comfortable.”

Initially, Sunday’s 2:00pm departure was expected to operate as scheduled, but worsening weather led to its cancellation. Meanwhile, tonight’s 7:30pm sailing from Rosslare has also been pulled, this time due to the technical fault.

Passengers have since been rebooked onto Irish Ferries’ Pembroke Dock to Rosslare service.

As of now, the Stena Nordica is set to resume operations from Fishguard on Monday afternoon, but Stena Line’s booking site shows that sailing as fully booked.

Passengers seeking updates or wishing to amend bookings are encouraged to visit the Stena Line website.

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News

RNLI St Davids lifeboat launched after paddle boarder spotted in difficulty

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AT 3:19pm on Saturday (April 5), St Davids’ all-weather lifeboat was launched to assist a paddle boarder reported to be struggling in offshore conditions near Abereiddy.

Shortly after the volunteer crew launched, HM Coastguard confirmed that the individual had made it safely ashore and the lifeboat was stood down.

Offshore winds can catch out even the most experienced paddler. Always check the wind and weather conditions carefully before heading out to sea.

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