News

Man who killed Lola James had ‘hair-trigger volatility’, judge told

Published

1 year ago

July 31, 2023

By Bronwen Weatherby and Brian Farmer, PA

A DRUG addict given a life sentence after being convicted of murdering his two-year-old stepdaughter had “hair-trigger volatility” and threatened to kill his mother, a civil court judge has heard.

Mr Justice Mostyn, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, said the picture Kyle Bevan’s mother painted of him was “truly disturbing”.

Bevan, 31, of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, was jailed in April after being found guilty following a trial at Swansea Crown Court of murdering Lola James in July 2020.

Trial judge Mr Justice Griffiths ruled that Bevan must spend at least 28 years in prison before being considered for release on licence.

Lola’s mother, Sinead James, 30, also of Haverfordwest, was found guilty of causing or allowing the youngster’s death and given a six-year jail term.

Mr Justice Mostyn had separately considered the case, at private hearings, and made findings of fact.

Social services bosses at Pembrokeshire County Council had asked Mr Justice Mostyn to make decisions relating to the welfare of other children.

He had overseen a behind-closed-doors trial, in the summer of 2021, at a family court in Swansea.

Mr Justice Mostyn’s ruling was kept under wraps until criminal proceedings had ended – to prevent jurors being influenced – but has now been published.

The judge concluded that Bevan “abusively inflicted Lola’s injuries” early on Friday July 17 2020, and had previously inflicted “gratuitous violence” on the little girl.

Lola’s mother was asleep when the little girl suffered her injuries which caused her death, Mr Justice Mostyn concluded.

But he said he was satisfied, “to a level appreciably higher than a balance of probability”, that James was aware that Bevan had been abusing Lola, “yet did nothing” to protect her.

Mr Justice Mostyn also heard how Bevan had threatened to kill his mother, Alison Bevan, who had worked on a nursing ward.

She had described her son’s “hair-trigger volatility” and painted a “truly disturbing” picture, Mr Justice Mostyn said.

“Alison Bevan explained in disarmingly frank evidence that her son had a history of drug abuse going back to his teenage years,” said Mr Justice Mostyn in a ruling which has now been published online.

“Alison Bevan explained to me that her son had always had an anger problem with her.

“Fury would erupt when she would not provide him with money or with prescription drugs which he expected her to steal for him from the nursing ward on which she worked.

“This had been going on for years.”

Mr Justice Mostyn added: “She explained that when he loses his temper there is shouting and screaming, intimidation and loss of control.

“When out of control and raging he had threatened to kill her.

“This had happened on four or five occasions.”

Mr Justice Mostyn went on: “The picture that she painted of her own son treating her with such contempt and malevolence was truly disturbing.”

Bevan had denied murdering Lola.

He blamed the family’s pet dog for pushing Lola down the stairs of the home he shared with James, in Haverfordwest.

Judges heard that Bevan had moved in soon after connecting with James on Facebook.

Lola was killed months later.

Mr Justice Mostyn said: “By any objective standards the formation of her relationship with Mr Bevan on 18 February 2020, moving from being strangers to cohabitants in the space of a few hours, is almost impossible to comprehend.

“It does demonstrate an extreme neediness on the part of the mother and a readiness to surrender basic responsibility in order to fill her needs.”

He said James, who had also pleaded not guilty, had been assessed as having a low IQ.

READ THIS WEEK’S PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD HERE:

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

3 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

News

Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

Published

4 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.

Business

Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite

Published

4 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.

The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.

Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.

Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”

For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.