Crime

Alcoholic mother sentenced to four years for child cruelty

Published

3 days ago

September 18, 2023

A MOTHER from Pembrokeshire, facing 15 counts of child cruelty at Swansea Crown Court, has been handed a four-year prison sentence for her decade-long abuse of her own children.

The mother, whose identity remains concealed to safeguard the children’s privacy, was revealed to have physically and emotionally abused her offspring, who range in age from 5 to 14.

Prosecutor Dean Pulling remarked on Monday (Sept 18), “The prolonged cruelty endured by these children is incomprehensible – from physical assaults to emotional torment.”

On a chilling day in June of the previous year, the father of the younger children observed an alarming red mark around one child’s eye. The child reluctantly revealed that her mother had shoved her in the shower, causing the injury. Additional bruises were discovered on another child.

Concerns intensified when a school teaching assistant spotted the injury. Although the child was initially reticent, they later admitted to the school headteacher that their mother was the perpetrator, an account corroborated by their sibling.

In a distressing turn of events, the mother’s verbal and physical abuse was captured on recordings. In one recording, she is overheard menacingly declaring, “I don’t care what happens here. If I strike you, never tell your teacher.”

Upon hearing these recordings, the children’s father was left “physically sickened” and promptly turned them over to the school and subsequently to the police.

The family’s home was reported to be in a dire state. Prosecutor Pulling detailed that the dwelling was filthy, with damaged doors, cluttered children’s rooms, and even soiled puppy pads strewn around, emanating an overpowering odour of urine.

When confronted, the mother conceded her actions but downplayed the severity, accusing the children of deceit and the father of manipulating them into making accusations. She stated, “I didn’t hit them hard. It was merely to shock them.”

Mr. Pulling highlighted the long-standing engagement of both social services and the police with the mother, dating back to 2010. The children, conditioned by their mother’s threats, remained silent, fearing separation if they confided in anyone.

Gravely, a paediatrician’s evaluation concluded that the children’s injuries were consistent with abuse. Additionally, the court was appalled to learn of the children’s developmental delays, dental issues, and infestations.

Defence counsel Stuart John lamented the lack of decisive intervention, stating, “It’s tragic that social services did not intervene sooner. These children deserved better.”

Acknowledging her wrongdoings, the defendant expressed remorse, citing efforts to combat her alcohol addiction.

Judge Catherine Richards conveyed her horror, asserting that the audio recordings were “truly harrowing for any adult to hear, let alone a child.”

The mother was sentenced to a total of four years imprisonment for the initial 12 charges, with additional concurrent sentences for the remaining offences relating to specific incidents.

Crime

Tenby doorman and sound engineer jailed for five years

Published

3 days ago

September 18, 2023

Tom Sinclair

GARY BLOUNT, a 44-year-old man from Whitland previously employed as a doorman and sound engineer in Tenby, has been jailed for five years today (Sept 18) at Swansea Crown Court.

Blount was unanimously found guilty by a jury on two charges of child sexual assault last month.

The incidents, involving a child aged five or six, occurred between 2014 and October 2016. Blount had denied both charges, which were related to the same victim.

The trial, held at Swansea Crown Court, lasted three days.

The allegations were brought to light last year when the young victim confided in a school counsellor.

Prosecutor Ian Wright shared that the child later informed her mother, expressing remorse for not speaking up sooner.

She described feeling “uncomfortable” with Blount’s advances, but he had told her such actions were “normal”.

On July 8, 2022, the victim provided her account to the police, detailing the inappropriate contact. Blount was subsequently arrested and charged when he visited Haverfordwest Police Station the next day.

Judge Geraint Walters had delayed sentencing until Monday, September 18, to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Crime

Carmarthen man faces court on multiple sex offence charges

Published

3 weeks ago

September 1, 2023

Luke Sinclair

Daniel Gravell, 41 from Carmarthen appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning. He faces grave allegations involving sex offences against multiple women, shedding light on a case that spans nearly two decades.

Gravell stands accused of committing three counts of rape, each involving distinct victims, and one count of disclosing private sexual photographs, affecting another woman. The troubling rape charges are linked to incidents reported in 2002, 2005, and the most recent in 2022.

During the preliminary court appearance, Gravell, residing in Porth Y Plas, Johnstown, Carmarthen, merely confirmed his name and address. As the courtroom filled with anticipation, he offered no indication of his plea. The case will now progress to Swansea Crown Court, where a plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for October 2.

Crime

Convicted murderer withholds information on Carmarthenshire wife’s remains

Published

4 weeks ago

August 26, 2023

Tom Sinclair

64-YEAR-OLD Glyn Razzell from Somerset, convicted of murdering his wife, Linda, in 2002, claims ignorance about her final resting place during a recent parole hearing. Linda, a 41-year-old mother of four, disappeared whilst en route to her Swindon workplace and has remained missing for over two decades.

Linda’s image, provided by Wiltshire Police, serves as a haunting reminder of the case that shook Highworth, Wiltshire, where she lived at the time of her mysterious disappearance.

In a remote appearance, Razzell, serving a life sentence, conveyed to the parole board, “I don’t know where Linda’s remains are. I’m unsure if she’s even deceased.” This response invoked Helen’s Law during his 2022 parole hearing, which denies parole to murderers withholding victim location details.

The couple’s children have endured years of anguish, desperate for closure and a chance to lay their mother to rest. Addressing Razzell, the parole panel conveyed, “Only you stand in the way of this closure.”

Razzell responded, expressing empathy for the bereaved family. Upon discussing disputes around the time of Linda’s disappearance, Razzell mentioned, “Linda sought my attention, which I didn’t reciprocate.”

Witness accounts of Razzell’s purported violent tendencies towards Linda were shared, which he refuted. Further questions probing threats, financial manipulation, and jealousy towards Linda’s new relationship were met with denials. Razzell admitted to feeling “depressed” after Linda initiated the divorce and lamented the reduced contact with his children.

A car Razzell borrowed the day Linda vanished reportedly contained traces of her blood. Denying knowledge, Razzell speculated Linda might have plotted to frame him. When repeatedly pressed about the murder allegations, he firmly declared his innocence, suggesting Linda vanished to incriminate him falsely.

Overwhelmed by emotions when discussing his children’s victim impact statements, Razzell divulged, “It pains me to know they harbour such sentiments about me.”

The hearing, open to the public, is being conducted at the Royal Courts of Justice, London. During Razzell’s 2003 trial, details emerged of Linda’s final known moments, including her last sighting at Alvescot Road, Swindon. Despite Razzell’s 2005 failed appeal, questions still linger. The parole board expects to render its decision within a fortnight.

The case is ongoing.