A MAN already serving a prison sentence for attacking a woman has been jailed again for assaulting another woman.

Regan Boswell, 52, of no fixed abode, was sentenced last month to 21 months in prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm and criminal damage after an attack on a woman on October 29, 2023.

On that occasion, Boswell got drunk and assaulted his friend—who had allowed him to stay at her home—by hitting her with a broom, fracturing her elbow.

However, he later appeared before the court again, accused of assault by beating after an incident involving a woman in Haverfordwest on November 6.

Boswell denied the charge but was found guilty on January 3.

The court heard that the offence was serious enough to warrant a custodial sentence, particularly as it was aggravated by his previous convictions and the presence of a baby during the attack.

He was sentenced at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on January 21, receiving an additional 18-week prison term to run concurrently with his existing sentence.

Boswell was also ordered to pay £650 in costs, and the victim was granted a two-year restraining order.

THE FINDINGS of the Ministry of Justice’s Independent Sentencing Review Report could mark a turning point in the future of Britain’s criminal justice system, according to Nacro CEO Campbell Robb.

The report, published on Tuesday (Feb 18), argues that successive governments’ “tough on crime” stance has contributed to the ongoing prison overcrowding crisis, which has brought the system “to the brink of collapse.”

Prison overcrowding at crisis point

The UK’s prison population now exceeds 85,000, a figure the report describes as symptomatic of a justice system prioritising punishment over evidence-based intervention. According to Nacro, research shows that community-based sentencing and investment in support services are more effective at reducing reoffending, yet government policies have continued to rely on longer custodial sentences as a default response.

Robb said: “This is a pivotal moment for justice reform. If we’re truly committed to a fair and effective system, we must shift away from the illusion of quick fixes and tough sentences and focus on building a system that rehabilitates and reintegrates people.”

Decades of flawed policies

Chair of the Independent Sentencing Review, David Gauke, criticised the “haphazard policy making and underinvestment” that has plagued the justice system for decades.

“For too long politicians have operated in a vacuum, increasing sentencing for individual crimes without considering the knock-on impact on the wider system. It is time to accept this does not deliver justice for victims; it fails them,” he said.

Academics contributing to the report have identified the 1991 Criminal Justice Act as a key turning point in the shift towards “penal populism,” in which political pressure has led to increasingly severe sentencing policies. Measures such as mandatory minimum sentences, extended terms for specific offences, and recall policies have inflated the prison population, with little evidence that they contribute to crime reduction.

Is prison the right answer?

According to the review, those given custodial sentences have some of the highest reoffending rates, with overall reoffending for ex-prisoners standing at 37.2%. For offenders serving short sentences of under 12 months, this rises to 56.9%. By contrast, community sentences and rehabilitation orders have been shown to be more effective at reducing reoffending.

Gauke stressed the need for an “honest conversation” about sentencing, stating: “Punishment will always be a central aim of the criminal justice system, but it is not the only aim; and prison is not the only form of punishment.”

Alongside the trend of longer sentences, the growing use of recall has significantly increased the prison population. In 1993, fewer than 100 people were in prison due to recall; by the end of 2024, this number had risen to nearly 13,000.

The review notes that changes such as mandatory post-release supervision for short sentences, combined with a more risk-averse probation service, have fuelled this surge.

The Independent Sentencing Review will release its full proposals for reform in the spring, calling for a “system reset” that aligns with all five statutory aims of sentencing: punishment, crime reduction, reform and rehabilitation, public protection, and reparation.

A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a Pembrokeshire woman accused of stealing meat from a local service station.

Lisa Stewart, 44, of Truscott House, London Road, Pembroke Dock, is alleged to have stolen meat worth £63.12 from Bush Hill Service Station, Pembroke, on January 1.

She was due to appear before Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday (Feb 18), but after failing to attend, magistrates issued a warrant for her arrest.