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News

Swansea Crown Court continues to consider if Lily Sullivan’s murder was sexually motivated

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THE MAN who murdered an 18-year-old on a night out and left her body in a reservoir confessed to his girlfriend “I’ve strangled somebody”, a court has heard.

Lewis Haines killed Lily Sullivan after meeting her at Out nightclub, formerly known as Paddles nightclub, in Pembroke, south-west Wales, on December 16 last year.

The 31-year-old admits murdering Ms Sullivan, but denies it was sexually motivated.

A trial of facts is being held at Swansea Crown Court to determine whether there was a sexual element to the killing before Haines can be sentenced.

Police investigate at the crime scene (Image M Cavaney/Herald)

He could face a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years if Judge Paul Thomas finds the killing was sexual, compared with a minimum term of 15 years if he does not.

The court heard how Ms Sullivan was discovered face down in Mill Pond, a two-mile long fresh water reservoir near the town.

She had been strangled and was no longer wearing the cream lace crop top she had been pictured in that night.

Just hours before, she had been seen partying with friends in the club where she had met Haines through their mutual friend Charlene Jones.

Sealed off: The area where Lily died (Image M Cavaney)

In a statement read to the court, Ms Jones said: “I could tell he was trying to chat Lily up. He was buying her drinks and standing close to her.
“He was being very flirtatious with her. I think he wanted to have sex with her.”

After the club closed, Ms Jones said she saw Haines and Ms Sullivan walk away down the street together and shouted: “You’ve got a girlfriend and a baby at home. She’s only 18.”

CCTV footage shows Haines and Ms Sullivan ended up in Morgans Way, an alleyway leading to Mill Pond.

William Hughes QC, prosecuting, said “a substantial part of the incident” must have taken place there because it was the location where Ms Sullivan’s phone and Haines’ baseball cap were later found.

Two people living nearby the alleyway said they heard a man and woman arguing in the early hours of the morning, with one witness saying she heard a woman scream.

During this time, Ms Sullivan’s mother Anna – who was supposed to pick her daughter and friend Lara Wood up at 2am – was becoming concerned.

She eventually spoke to Ms Wood who told her she was no longer with Ms Sullivan.

After dozens of calls and text messages to her daughter, Ms Sullivan answered the phone and told her mother she would meet her at a nearby garage, but she never arrived.

She last spoke to her daughter just before 3am when Ms Sullivan answered the phone again and said she was just “minutes away”.

Lily was enjoying a drink in a Pembroke nightclub hours before she died, according to friends. (Image: Facebook)

The phone call was cut off mid-sentence.

Sometime later Ms Sullivan’s mother said she saw a man walking casually past her car swinging his arms before his behaviour changed and he began wringing his hands, shaking his head and running across the road.

Mr Hughes told the court on Monday: “While she’d not seen him before, her description of the man is similar to Lewis Haines.
“The prosecution believe the person Anna Sullivan saw was her daughter’s killer.”

Haines arrived home at 3.40am and told his girlfriend Maisie John: “I’ve strangled somebody. They’re in Mill Pond.”

Ms John said Haines’ jeans were damp and he had blood on his arms.

She said he was “hysterical” and repeatedly asked to be taken to his mother’s house.

Admitting to her while in the car: “I think she’s dead.”

He later told his mother that Ms Sullivan had called him a rapist and hit him, and that he had strangled her, hit her and pushed her into the water.

Haines claimed to have tried to pull Ms Sullivan out of the water but said she was a “dead weight”.

Ms Sullivan was declared dead at 6.02am despite paramedics’ attempts to revive her.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had bruising to her face and had been strangled, but there was no evidence she had been sexually assaulted.

Central to understanding whether the crime was sexually motivated or not is when Ms Sullivan’s top was removed, the court was told.

The prosecution believe the bralette was removed while Ms Sullivan was on land.

Defence barrister John Hipkin QC said when the item arrived at the laboratory, it was noted as being “slightly damp”.

Crime scene investigator for Dyfed-Powys Police Alexander Morgan confirmed the top was dry when he recovered it, but said it was a cold day and he was wearing two pairs of gloves.

Haines, a father-of-one, of Flemish Court, Lamphey, previously denied murdering Ms Sullivan but pleaded guilty a week before his trial was due to begin.

On Tuesday (Aug 23) the court heard that on the white top Lily was wearing that was found by the Millpond, Mr Hipkins QC said there is absolutely no evidence to suggest it was forcibly removed.

It was explained that the area the top was located is an unlikely area for any sexual misconduct to have taken place.

Mr Hipkins QC said that the defendant did get into the water to try get Lily out, and the cutting off of the phone call at 2.47am does not assist the court in identifying whether any sexual misconduct was committed during the murder.

Prosecuting solicitor William Hughes QC summed up the prosecution’s case by saying there are several different strands in the case which suggest Haines was sexually motivated.

He highlighted two witness statements that had formed the views Haines had shown sexual interest in Lily on the night, and that he was warned off Lily more than once, including that he had a child and reminding him of the age difference between the pair.
Mr Hughes QC said that up to a point Lily was also prepared to have a degree of intermate contact, and in addition, Haines had admitted kissing Lily in the nightclub. Haines also accepts he kissed Lily down the lane.

In CCTV footage between 1.25am and 1.55am in Main Street there is a doorway to which Lily and Haines ‘absconded’ and it is not unreasonable to say there was some form of intimacy happening at that point.

Prosecution highlighted the evidence of Dyfed-Powys crime scene investigator Alex Morgan who found Lily’s jacket and Haines’ jacket in the alleyway, which were all dry. Prosecution argued that these clothes must have been removed in that location and that it was indicative some sexual activity increased in intensity at that point.

Mr Hughes QC said the actions to leave OUT nightclub, formally Paddles, towards the Millpond, were sexually motivated.

Judge Paul Thomas QC: “Two adults have been drinking, go off together down a dark secluded lane, they spend some time in a doorway together and they spend a long period of time down the alleyway.”

THE CASE CONTINUES

Community

Welsh public bodies pledge new approach to public tragedies

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ORGANISATIONS across Wales have signed a landmark charter committing to greater openness, transparency, and accountability in their response to public tragedies.

The Charter for Families Bereaved by Public Tragedy calls for a cultural shift in how public bodies engage with bereaved families, ensuring lessons from the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and its aftermath prevent similar experiences for those affected by future tragedies.

Welsh Government, local authorities, police forces, the Welsh Ambulance Service, and fire and rescue services have all pledged to support bereaved families and communities following major incidents. The commitment aims to ensure services are responsive to the needs of those affected before, during, and after such events.

A launch event will take place in Merthyr Tydfil on Tuesday (March 18), attended by Bishop James Jones KBE, who authored the charter as part of his report on lessons from Hillsborough. Survivors and bereaved families from Hillsborough, Grenfell Tower, Manchester Arena, and Aberfan—just miles from the launch site—will also be present.

Bishop Jones said: “Today, the nation of Wales is leading the way, with over 50 public bodies signing this charter. In doing so, the culture of these organisations is beginning to change, with a renewed commitment to public service and respect for the humanity of those we serve.

“The charter is a promise that, after any future tragedy, no one will be left to navigate their grief alone, nor endure the ‘patronising disposition of unaccountable power.’

“This is a pivotal moment for the nation as we embrace the principles of the charter and pledge to place respect for humanity at the heart of all public service.”

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Dawn Docx, chair of the Joint Emergency Services Group in Wales, emphasised the importance of cooperation in supporting families: “By working together, we can use our collective expertise and resources to provide meaningful support to those in need during times of crisis and beyond.”

South Wales Police Deputy Chief Constable Mark Travis highlighted the long-term commitment required: “By signing the charter, each organisation is making a public statement to learn from past tragedies and ensure bereaved families are treated with care and compassion—not just in the immediate aftermath, but in the weeks, months, and years that follow.

“While today is a landmark moment, the real challenge is embedding the charter into our training and culture so that it becomes an integral part of our response to any public tragedy.

“The involvement of the bereaved and survivors has been instrumental in bringing about this significant step forward.”

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Climate

Senedd Cymru’s ‘Green Economy’ Report – Bute Energy responds

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SENEDD CYMRU’S Economy Committee published its report ‘Green Economy’, which a series of recommendations on the future of the renewable industry in Wales.

Members of the Committee made particular reference to the content of local supply chains, local ownership, and skills. Bute Energy has welcomed the report.

Bute Energy is developing the largest pipeline of onshore wind in Wales, capable of generating more than 2.2GW of clean energy by 2030, enough to power 2.25m homes and create up to 2,000 new jobs.

The company is backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and the Welsh Pension Partnership, meaning that local authority pension holders across the 8 member authorities will benefit directly from Wales’ clean energy mission.

Responding, Community Investment and Communications Director Catryn Newton said: “Onshore wind not only represents the quickest route to the decarbonisation of Wales’ energy system, but also typically has higher levels of local and Welsh suppliers across the lifetime of the projects.

“At Bute Energy we’re working tirelessly to set a new standard for our projects – whether that’s our Net Zero Skills Strategy, how we deploy our potential £20m a year community benefit fund to benefit local communities, our social value in procurement standard.

“Our mission is not only to power Wales with clean energy but to maximise the investment in our clean energy transition to the benefit of Wales and our communities.”

Bute Energy states that its partnership with the Welsh Pension Partnership represents the most equitable form of community and shared ownership in Wales. Hundreds of thousands of Welsh pension holders will benefit from the transition to clean power.

The company will also invest up to 25% of its Community Benefit Fund to support local community energy schemes which it will gift to communities, local services and charities in the communities nearest its energy parks.

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Health

Haverfordwest opticians raises funds for Glaucoma UK with charity bake sale

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A LOCAL opticians in Haverfordwest has raised awareness about glaucoma and funds for charity Glaucoma UK by hosting an in-store bake sale.

Coinciding with World Glaucoma Awareness Week (9 – 15 March), an annual campaign encouraging people to talk about the effects of glaucoma, the fundraiser saw employees at Specsavers Haverfordwest, alongside local café, The Box, donate a variety of baked goods to help support the cause.

Customers and local community members contributed to the event, raising £280 through cash and online donations. Leftover cakes were donated to local community initiative, Feed the Community.

According to Glaucoma UK there are around 700,000 people living with glaucoma and between 2015 and 2035 that number is set to rise by 44%[1]. Early detection plays a crucial role in preventing sight loss, as glaucoma can often be managed effectively if diagnosed in time.

Andy Britton, director and glaucoma specialist at Specsavers Haverfordwest, explains: ‘Glaucoma is a major cause of sight loss, but the good news is that early diagnosis and treatment can make a real difference in managing the condition. That’s why events like this are so valuable in spreading awareness.

‘We’re delighted with the turnout for our bake sale and want to thank everyone who contributed, whether by baking, donating or simply stopping by to support the cause. Raising awareness of glaucoma is vital and we’re proud to support Glaucoma UK in their mission to help those affected by the condition.’

To further boost fundraising efforts, the store also held a raffle with prizes including a food and movie night hamper and a voucher for local restaurant, Waldo Lounge.

Alongside cash donations on the day, Specsavers Haverfordwest set up a JustGiving page to allow those unable to attend in person to contribute.

To support the fundraiser, donate via the JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/page/danielle-thomas-turner-1?newPage=true

Specsavers Haverfordwest is open seven days a week. To find out more information about Specsavers in Haverfordwest, request an appointment or browse the online store, visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/haverfordwest.

Additionally, to make eye health accessible to all, the store offers a Home Visits service for those unable to leave their homes unaccompanied due to disability or illness.

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