POLICING by consent was the topic of discussion at Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn’s annual St David’s Conference this year, which took place on Friday 3 March 2023 at Dyfed-Powys Police Headquarters in Carmarthen.

Policing by consent, which is the theory behind the Peelian principles that were designed to define an ethical police force, is heavily reliant on public confidence. Addressing today’s challenges of rebuilding public trust and confidence, is essential to safeguard a legitimate future for policing according to PCC Llywelyn.

Public confidence and trust in our policing services today is amongst its lowest ever. High profile cases, such as the murders of Sarah Everard here in the UK, and George Floyd in the U.S, to name but two, has cast a light on what appears to be a culture of misogyny, racism, and corruption within policing.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said; “I recently heard a highly regarded and dedicated senior police officer speaking publicly that he has never been so embarrassed and ashamed of working for the Police, despite some of the excellent work that is taking place is some areas of policing.

“Rebuilding public confidence in our policing service is essential if we are to safeguard a legitimate future for policing. This cannot be done overnight. It will take years, but it’s our responsibility, and we need to address the challenges, today.

“I was joined this year, by renowned national experts and academics as guest speakers, who will shine a light on these challenges and the work that is undergoing to address them”.

Guest speakers who were talking about today’s challenges included:

• Professor Richard Wyn Jones and Dr. Robert Jones, who have recently published a book Criminal Justice in Wales: On the Jagged Edge’;
• Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, who worked with both Welsh Government and Criminal Justice in Wales Board on their Anti Racist Action Plans;
• Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, who is now working for the College of Policing and is the National Police Chief Constables’ lead on violence against women and girls;
• Dr. Nerys Llewelyn Jones who was a Commissioner on the Law Commission which was chaired by Lord Thomas of Cwmgeidd – The Thomas Commission, which undertook a review of the justice system in Wales
• This will be PCC Dafydd Llywelyn’s seventh annual St David’s Conference, with previous conferences focusing on Coercive Control (2017); Mental Health in Policing (2018); Cyber-Crime (2019); Rural Crime (2020), Victims (2021), Anti-Social Behaviour (2022).

The Conference, which took place at Dyfed-Powys Police Headquarters in Carmarthen, has over 130 guests attending either in person or virtual. PCC Llywelyn concluded; “I am looking forward to welcoming all to the conference this year, where we will face challenging and honest statements, as we consider, where do we go from here”.

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has spoken of his ‘desperation, violation and humiliation’ after Surrey Police Force deliberately turned its back on his allegations of abuse which persisted throughout his childhood and adolescence.

Steven Delahunty suffered months of defeat at the hands of Surrey police officers as he attempted to commence an investigation into his historical child abuse claims.

‘Here is a man who had a serious complaint”, commented Judge Huw Rees during today’s trial at Swansea Crown Court. 

  “But the police did nothing about it. His face was set against the wall and he was acting in desperation.”

Mr Delahunty, 50, denied two charges of sending electronic messages, namely voicemails and tweets, to Surrey Police Force with the intention of causing anxiety or distress.

Throughout the trial Delahunty,  of Westgate Hill, Pembroke, said his actions were the cry of a ‘desperate man who had reached breaking point’.

“My motivation was simply to ask for help,” he told the jury in his mitigation.  “I was in a bad way.  After ten and a half months, I lost it.  I’m sorry.”

Delahunty sent the first batch of electronic messages to the personal assistant of the Surrey Crime Commissioner on the morning of Sunday, April 8, 2022. The first voicemail was made at 8.05am and nine further messages were sent every few minutes, ending at 8.31am.

 The messages related to the way in which Surrey police had failed to respond to historic child abuse allegations which Delahunty claimed he had endured throughout his childhood and adolescence years.

Mr Delahunty stated that he was ‘contemplating killing and executing Surrey police officers’.

“I don’t want to take anybody’s life, but I’ve been abused by the state and by Surrey Police”, read one message.

Another read “If I tried to take the law into my own hands and execute or kill a police officer, maybe I’d get a reaction.”

The second charge related to a number of tweets which Delahunty sent to Surrey Police Force under his twitter name of Astro Paradiso, on August 7, 2022.

“If I had an automatic rifle, I’d be down Surrey police headquarters in Guildford’ read one post while another said, ‘When you discovered I lived in Pembrokeshire, you did not care.  Nothing has been done.  No letter, sweet FA.”

Delahunty chose to be legally unrepresented in court. In his mitigation he said his actions were the result of his increased desperation at being overlooked by the police in his efforts to challenge his allegations of childhood abuse.

In May, 2021, he was interviewed by a female officer concerning his allegations and was confident that this might finally lead to a police investigation into his allegations..

“I thought that at last I’ve got someone who will understand me,” said Delahunty, breaking down in tears in the dock.

“She listened to what I had to say for over an hour and the following day sent me an email saying she would be away on annual leave but would get back to tell me what was going on.  But she never did.

“I felt violated and humiliated.

“ For ten and a half months I kept calling up and asking what was going on, but I felt I was being treated like Benny in Crossroads…like the village idiot.”

Mr Delahunty went on to say that on one occasion he was asked to provide Surrey officers with his current postal address.

“And when I told her, the officer said, ‘Pembrokeshire?’  We’re not going there.  I’m  not being funny, but have you ever thought of speaking to The Samaritans?’

“And that was when I made the decision to take control of the situation for my own mental health – I thought I was going to have a mental breakdown.”

Steven Delahunty went on to accuse the police of deliberately prolonging their period of non-communication.

“My motivation was simply to ask for help but they chose to wait for four months because they wanted me to get back on the phone in an increasingly agitated state.  They wanted the meat.  The police were waiting for that threat to kill.”

After listening to the mitigation, the jury reached a unanimous verdict after a short deliberation of just over 30 minutes. Steven Delahunty was found not guilty on both charges.

Following the verdict, Judge Huw Rees requested that Mr Delahunty’s allegations concerning his child abuse be investigated by Dyfed-Powys Police. He invited them to meet with Mr Delahunty to discuss his concerns.

THE FATHER of an autistic child has told of his horror as police officers smashed down his front door to execute a search warrant.
But it soon became apparent that as many as eight bungling officers had carried out the raid near Cardigan on the wrong address.
Michael Williams, 32, has taken to social media to share his experience, which he says has left his non-verbal son, 7, having nightmares.
Michael explained that when police smashed their way into the property they shouted for the father and his special-needs son to ‘Get down on the floor’.
“It was a frightening experience, seeing the door come in – and to be forced onto the floor without an understanding of what was going on,” said Michael.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Michael posted onto Facebook about the incident, receiving hundreds of shares. He said: “Where [can I] start with this mess – at 9am last Saturday (Jan 21) the police broke through my flat door with a warrant for a drugs search which in-fact was the wrong address and wrong person.
“You’ve effectively broke into my house with no warrant for the wrong person and address!
“My son was next to me on the sofa when this happened- anyone that knows me, or my son knows he is autistic and non-verbal. He is now Petrified of the police, he now has nightmares, the set back this is going to be for him is massive, we can’t ask him if he’s okay, we can’t explain to him how the force we pay to ‘protect’ us forced their way through our door with no valid reason or warrant (again the address on the warrant was across the road)
“For any child [this would have been] frightening for a child that’s nonverbal and autistic well it doesn’t bear thinking about!
Michael added: “Not once did the police check the Council Tax records or electoral board which would have shown mickey as a vulnerable child due to how complex needs.
“The police have offered no satisfactory reason to why they didn’t check things properly!
“I have seen the warrant the warrant address is in fact for across the road from me!
“I still have a door that won’t shut properly I probably have a child now that will be scared to come back because of the damage our fine ‘police force’ have done.
“How the hell the police forced entry in to a house (around 8 officers) with no warrant – there is more which I’m not ready to disclose until the ‘investigation’ is over, then again the police will always look after the police and that was evident today when I was told ‘the police done nothing wrong’
“Dyfed Powys police should hang their heads in shame! It’s disgusting what’s happened!
Michael finished his Facebook post by saying: “I would love this to be shared so no other child is made to jump out of their skin in their own home!
“The explanation you’re offering to this blunder isn’t good enough!”

I DON’T FEEL SAFE AT HOME

Michael now says has handed his notice to his landlord, stating that he no longer feels safe in his home and that it’s not a safe environment for his children.

Michael added that all he wants is answers. He would like to be able to sit down and speak to the officers responsible, instead of via email.

POLICE RESPONSE

Dyfed-Powys Police responded to the incident with a brief official statement. They said: “We can confirm that the Professional Standards Department has received a complaint, and this is currently in the process of being assessed and formally recorded under the Police Reform Act 2002.

“The Professional Standards Department will be in contact with the complainant to explain how the complaint will be handled, and the matter will be allocated to a suitable complaint handler for review.

“The outcome will be communicated with the complainant who will have a right to review if he is dissatisfied with the outcome”.