Crime

Recommendations on mental health support, substance mis-use and youth offending

Published

3 years ago

July 13, 2023

POLICE and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn has published a report that has been prepared in collaboration with his Youth Forum, that analyses findings from their recent youth consultation titled Y Sgwrs.

Y Sgwrs (a Welsh title meaning ‘The Conversation’) asked young people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Powys and Pembrokeshire for their views and experiences of mental health support for young victims of crime, substance mis-use and youth offending. The consultation asked teenagers and young adults to explain what works, what doesn’t and how things might be improved.

The consultation included an online survey, focus groups held locally by Youth Forum members, and feedback from young people who were at the recent Urdd National Eisteddfod in Llandovery.

The report was shared with organisations and individuals who work with young people at a Youth Conference held by the Youth Forum and Police and Crime Commissioner, in Llanelli Carmarthenshire on 5^th of July, with the report now been made available to the wider public.

Individuals responding to the survey and the focus groups all discussed the role of school and colleges and considered whether they could do more to provide better access to career and training opportunities. Those that took part noted that more could be done to cater to wider opportunities. Many also commented on improving access to learning more life skills and a wider choice of work experience and careers advice.

PCC Dafydd Llywelyn’s office worked with Youth forum members to design a series of recommendations for both the Police and partner organisation to consider. They include;

Recommendation 1: Dyfed-Powys Police and the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) should increase social media posts to raise awareness of mental health and mental health support in the area. The police should share these items through social media and try to target a far-reaching audience.

Recommendation 2: Partners should raise awareness of their services and inform children and younger people of mental health services in the local area, how people can access support, and provide detailed information on the process of accessing the service.

Recommendation 3: Dyfed-Powys Police and its partners should work to improve its data sharing between agencies and organisations to ensure a child-centred approach.

Recommendation 4: Dyfed-Powys Police and its partners should aim to raise awareness of substance misuse services available for children and young people in the Force area.

Recommendation 5: Schools Police Officers should consider including information on, and visual aids of, long term effects of drug use when engaging with schools around substance misuse.

Recommendation 6: Schools Police Officers should consider working with the local health boards to create training for teaching staff within schools on substance misuse and the support available.

Recommendation 7: Dyfed-Powys Police should increase a positive relationship with children and young people by, for example, creating engagement events or open days, inviting children and young people to get to know the service. The Force should also consider sharing positive work in engaging with children and young people via social media for a wider reach.

Recommendation 8: Dyfed-Powys Police to raise awareness of the likely outcomes of low-level offences in children and young people so that they understand the consequences.

Recommendation 9: In response to this report and its recommendations, the Police and Crime Commissioner should support youth organisations and charities with funding requests. The Police & Crime Commissioner can offer funding directly in support of the delivery of Police and Crime Plan priorities.

Responding to the recommendations while also looking back at the discussions that took place at the Youth Conference, PCC Dafydd Llywelyn said; “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible partners and young people who joined us at our Youth Conference last week. Together, we took a powerful step towards addressing crucial topics that impact our youth.

“The conference focused on the Y Sgwrs consultation that the Youth Forum has been working on over the last year with my Office, which focused on three key areas: mental health support, substance misuse, and youth offending.

“By working together with young people and local partners, we can explore innovative solutions and create a platform for open dialogue, ensuring the voices of young people are heard.

“I would like to thank every single young person who has taken part in this consultation. Your insights, ideas, and experiences will shape the future of our community, and we are grateful for your valuable contributions.

“I will now aim to work closely with the Force and key partners to respond accordingly to the recommendations highlighted in the report, so that we can break barriers, and support one another in creating a safer and healthier environment for our youth. Together, we can make a real difference!”

Kai Collins, one of the Dyfed-Powys Youth Forum members said; “Our report called Y Sgwrs, pulls together all of our findings from the survey. We want the Police and supporting services to read our report and consider its findings and recommendations in their current and future work.

“I have been a member of the Youth Forum since 2019, and throughout my time as an ambassador, I have felt a sense of belonging and change. I feel that our Youth Forum has had a great impact on the local areas and reach many people and shown them that the Police are not as scary as they are often made out to be. I feel that all the work we have done has helped educate so many young people and allowed them to express their views and opinions on what needs to be done”.

The Y Sgwrs Youth Consultation report can be download from the Dyfed-Powys Office of Police and Crime Commissioner’s website here.

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

51 minutes ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

1 hour ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

7 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.