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News

Llangolman: Cooper and a string of coincidences

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IT’S December in Pembrokeshire – the run up to Christmas – and the bodies of two wealthy siblings are found in their fire-damaged rural home.

Both suffered horrific injuries before their deaths. But, because of the fire, little evidence is found.

We could be talking about Richard and Helen Thomas’ deaths at John Cooper’s hands in their Scoveston Manor home.

But we’re not.

We’re talking about a mysterious double murder that took place almost a decade earlier, in the Pembrokeshire village of Llangolman.

John Cooper kept trophies and keys from his criminal career. Police found hundreds when they searched his home.

Cooper was charged and convicted of 2 double murders, rape and sexual assault in 2011.

Before then, Cooper was convicted of robbing over 30 properties in a crime spree stretching back to him stealing a car, assaulting a police officer and ABH between 1961-65.

Brother and sister Griff and Patti Thomas lived in the small village of Llangolman, near Clunderwen, for over 70 years. Neither married so they kept each other company in their small rural farmhouse, Ffynnon Samson, in the picturesque Preseli Hills.

Their lives passed relatively uneventfully until sometime before 8:25 am on Saturday, December 11, 1976.

While on his rounds that day, a local postman, Nigel Rossiter, stumbled across a horrendous scene at Ffynnon Samson.
Mr Rossiter collected what he thought was the outgoing post from the Thomases home. But it was the post he’d placed there two days before. When the postman noticed this, he knocked at Ffynnon Samson’s door to check on Griff and Patti.

There was no reply.

Worried about the elderly pair’s welfare, he let himself in.

The scene which greeted him was horrendous.

“Going into the house, I had to go into a good bit of the room because there was a big chair or something in the way. I could see this charred body in a nest of cushions, and a made-out thing, like, as if it was a nest,” Mr Rossiter told the inquest into the siblings’ deaths.

What Nigel Rossiter saw were the badly charred remains of Griff Thomas on a settle. Mr Thomas’ body was so severely burned that only his feet could be made out.

Nigel, understandably shocked, ran to a neighbour’s house to raise the alarm.

It wasn’t until Mr Rossiter returned to the scene with the Police that they found Patti.

Patti Thomas’ body was found slumped over a table on a magazine rack in the parlour. She had been brutally beaten to death with a heavy dining room chair which was found covered in blood.

When the Police arrived on the scene, they collected 174 items of evidence. House-to-house enquiries began with over 150 statements taken. Forensic experts descended on Ffynnon Samson with 430 fingerprints taken from the house.

The local constabulary, headed by Detective Chief Superintendent Pat Molloy, proved Griff and Patti Thomas were both killed sometime between Griff’s last visit to the local shop for his daily paper and some shopping at 4 pm on Tuesday, December 7 and the discovery of their bodies on Saturday.

Griff didn’t make his daily call to the local shop for his newspaper on Wednesday, December 8. It’s, therefore, reasonable to suppose he didn’t because he and Patti were already dead.

Griff’s watch was found to have stopped ticking at 8:20. Dyfed-Powys Police believe that the Thomases met their demise on Tuesday evening.

Of the 430 fingerprints taken from Fynnon Samson, 2 couldn’t be traced.

Locals widely accepted someone else had been in the house that night. Police found Griff’s blood AND one of the unidentified fingerprints on a sewing machine that had had its cover placed back onto it by persons unknown.

They were left-hand fingerprints, but Griff’s left arm was so severely burned that his fingerprints couldn’t be taken.

Although a thorough search didn’t find a murder weapon, it did find £2,700 in Patti’s purse.

That discovery derailed the murder investigation.

Dyfed-Powys Police began treating what happened to the Thomases as a murder-suicide.

When an inquest into the unexplained deaths was opened in Haverfordwest in February 1977, officers stuck to that explanation.

The ’77 inquest heard how it was believed that Griff Thomas had rowed with his sister over ‘pocket money’ she gave to him.

The inquest also heard it was believed that the severely arthritic Griff had beaten his sister to death with a chair before committing the ghastliest of suicides.

How Griff sustained a fractured skull wasn’t explained; nor was how a person of calm temperament suddenly snapped into a murderous rage. Griff’s severe rheumatism wasn’t mentioned.

The inquest’s summary reads: “Something must have happened between the old couple, and it could have been that Miss Thomas provoked her brother by either hitting him or pulling his hair and he then retaliated.

“It was possible that Mr Thomas had provoked his sister by starting a fire. Though seriously injured, he carried his sister from the house’s kitchen into the living room where she was found sitting on a magazine rack. He could have headed back to the house’s kitchen, collapsing in a doorway where his blood was found before getting to his feet and then either falling back into the fire or throwing himself on it.”

On February 17, 1977, an inquest jury deliberated and returned the verdict that Patti Thomas’ death was manslaughter at her brother’s hands. Griff’s death was, however, left open.

Rhydwilym Baptist Chapel in 1976

The Thomases were interred at Rhydwilym Baptist Chapel where both siblings were dedicated members of the congregation attending church the Sunday of both their deaths.

Due to the inquest’s verdict, Griff was, for many years, denied a headstone as it was believed he had killed his sister in a moment of insanity. He now shares a headstone with Patti though.

44 years later and many locals still believe someone else was there that night.

Whatever you might think, it’s believed John Cooper was in the Llangolman area at the time doing fencing work.

We also know for sure that the key for Griff and Patti’s locked bureau was never found.

The similarities between the two pairs of siblings’ deaths at Llangolman and Scoveston are striking.

We asked whether the Police explored possible ties between the Llangolman deaths and Cooper.

A Police spokesperson didn’t deny Cooper was a person of interest in Griff and Patti Thomas’s deaths.

They said: “Dyfed-Powys Police will examine any specific new information containing detailed knowledge or evidence, and any further decisions would be based on the results of the examination of that new material.

“There is no intention to re-investigate any incidents on speculation alone.”

The day after Cooper’s conviction in May 2011, Dyfed-Powys Police were understood to have been planning to “review the circumstances” of the 1976 deaths.

It seems that review yielded no new information in the decade since. Dyfed-Powys Police must be happy with the way their 1970’s predecessors investigated the deaths at the time.

It’s a shame the evidence taken from Ffynnon Samson won’t be scrutinised with modern DNA testing techniques and the same thirst for justice which saw John Cooper convicted of two double murders some 21 years later despite police not finding any new evidence they didn’t already possess as part of Operation: Huntsman.

As of going to press, Griff and Patti Thomas are no closer to the justice they deserve than they were in February 1977.

When this article initially ran, we printed the picture and named Llangolman Church as being the place of burial for the Thomases and that Griff didn’t have a headstone today. We later found these details to be incorrect, so we have rectified this for the online version of the story.

Community

Milford Haven Town Council seeks nominations for 2025 Citizens’ Awards

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MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL is inviting residents to put forward their local heroes for recognition in this year’s Citizens’ Awards.

The annual awards celebrate the efforts of individuals and groups who go above and beyond to make Milford Haven a better place—voluntarily and without any form of payment.

Nominations are now open, and members of the public are encouraged to take a moment to think about those who deserve a special thank you. Whether it’s someone who supports vulnerable neighbours, leads a youth group, organises community events, or simply goes out of their way to help others, the Town Council wants to hear about them.

A spokesperson for the council said: “These awards are a fantastic way to recognise the unsung heroes of our town—the people whose efforts too often go unnoticed. If you know someone who gives their time freely to benefit the local community, we urge you to nominate them.”

Nominations must be submitted by 12:00pm on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

To obtain a nomination form:

Please note: Awards can only be granted to those working in a voluntary capacity, and previous award recipients are not eligible for nomination.

For inspiration, you can view highlights from last year’s ceremony via Milford Haven Town Council’s Facebook page:
facebook.com/milfordhaventowncouncil/posts/pfbid02f7WhKXhjtDxEqV68ujznDvFX89yhBYe8dQgXtqqY19Yb7bC7SeNYW6Ua42E4Ehevl

The council encourages everyone to get involved and help shine a light on the incredible community spirit that defines Milford Haven.

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Entertainment

The authentic sound of The Rolling Stones… with the world’s premier Jagger lookalike

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CAPTURING the authentic sound and spirit of The Greatest Rock n’ Roll Band In The World, NOT THE ROLLING STONES have played festivals, theatres and private gigs throughout Europe, the middle east and the UK. This May, they will appear here on the Torch Stage in Pembrokeshire!

Featuring the best Mick Jagger lookalike you will ever see, truly international tribute act in demand all over Europe as well as the UK, will take you back to the Golden Age of The Stones- from Satisfaction to Sympathy for the Devil… You won’t believe it’s not Jagger!

Based on the Rolling Stones, an English rock band formed in London in 1962 and active for over six decades, they were one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the rock era and pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock, and Not The Rolling Stones carry on that legacy today.

They have the unique asset of a ‘Mick and Keith’ who stagger audiences with their authenticity, also attested by the many TV and film credits they have between them.

Backed by a superb group of professional musicians that love the music they are playing; they convey their enthusiasm for the work of the world’s greatest rock and roll band.

Not the Rolling Stones will be on the Torch Theatre stage on Friday 16 May at 7.30pm. Tickets are £25. Visit the website for further details www.torchtheatre.co.uk or phone the Box Office on (01646) 695267.

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Business

Wales leads Britain in export growth for financial and professional services

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Financial exports soar by 63.5% to £4.3bn

WALES has outpaced every other part of Great Britain in export growth for financial and related professional services, according to a new report by TheCityUK.

The report, Exporting from across Britain: Financial and related professional services 2025, reveals that exports from Wales surged by 63.5% in 2022, reaching £4.3bn—significantly ahead of the national average.

Across Great Britain, total financial and related professional services exports rose by 18.4% to £158bn, with nearly half (47%) generated outside London. Wales contributed 2.9% of the UK’s total financial services exports and 2% of the related professional services total.

The report provides a breakdown of 2022 data by region and nation, highlighting the growing contribution of areas outside London in strengthening the UK’s role as a global financial centre.

In terms of export destinations, 27% of Wales’s financial services exports went to the European Union, with the remaining 73% reaching markets across the rest of the world.

Tom Bray, TheCityUK Chair for Wales and Senior Office Partner (Cardiff) at Eversheds Sutherland, said: “It’s great to see such strong growth in Wales for financial and related professional services exports. Our skill and ability to provide high-quality financial and professional services plays an important role in driving growth in Wales, creating jobs and opportunities for communities across the nation.”

Anjalika Bardalai, Chief Economist and Head of Research at TheCityUK, added: “In 2022, Wales had an extremely strong year of export growth, albeit from a lower base than most regions. Nearly half of all UK exports in financial and related services now come from outside London, reinforcing the UK’s strength as an international financial hub and the importance of regional contributions.”

Policy recommendations

TheCityUK report also outlines a series of recommendations for industry, government, and regulators to support export growth in Wales and beyond. These fall under three key areas:

1. Improving access to trade opportunities

  • Better coordination between UK government, devolved administrations, and investment bodies.
  • Align local growth strategies with national trade goals.
  • Launch a pilot national brokerage scheme to connect capital with investable projects.

2. Expanding global market access

  • Finalise FTAs with Switzerland and India, ensuring better market access and digital trade provisions.
  • Use talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council to promote regulatory cooperation.
  • Strengthen regulatory dialogues with major markets like the US, EU, Japan, and Singapore.
  • Replicate successful models like the UK-Switzerland MRA with other global financial centres.
  • Encourage domestic and international investment into UK scale-up businesses.

3. Positioning the UK for future demand

  • Make the UK a global hub for data, tech, and innovation.
  • Establish the UK as the gateway for international investment.
  • Focus development work on high-potential markets to maximise value.

The report underlines that Wales’s performance demonstrates the growing importance of the UK’s nations and regions in maintaining the country’s competitive edge on the global stage.

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