Crime
Man sentenced for targeted theft at Haverfordwest pre-school nursery

A 36-year-old man, Christopher Harding, has been sentenced to a 12-month community order by Haverfordwest magistrates for stealing lead flashing off the roof of the Tots Pre-School Day Nursery in Haverfordwest. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of October 10, left the nursery owner, Mr Graham Francis, distressed and anxious about the safety of his property.
Harding, of Freemans View, Haverfordwest, appeared before the magistrates this week, where he pleaded guilty to the theft. Crown Prosecutor, Sian Vaughan, highlighted the premeditated nature of the crime. “This wasn’t an opportunist theft, but it had been well prepared for,” she stated. “He had a head torch and the items recovered in his rucksack included rubber gloves and a kitchen knife.”
Reading from a victim impact statement prepared by Mr Francis, Ms Vaughan revealed the profound impact of the incident on the nursery owner. “This is the third time my property has been targeted,” Mr Francis lamented. “It’s got to the point where I’m scared at what I’ll wake up to next. I’m currently driving into Haverfordwest twice a day to check on the property, which is taking up a great deal of my time as I’m concerned that it’ll happen again.”
The stolen lead flashing’s value remains unknown, but the damage caused to the roof amounted to £1,500. Addressing the court, Mr Tom Lloyd, representing Harding, acknowledged the gravity of the crime. “The value of what was taken remains unknown, but we’re not arguing with the compensation claim of £1,500,” he said. “This was an impulsive act. My client was intoxicated, he’d been out drinking, and it was an error of judgment.”
Supporting this perspective, the probation service officer commented on Harding’s character. “That day the defendant had been drinking, and when he drinks he does stupid things,” she said, shedding light on Harding’s lack of judgment under the influence of alcohol. Despite Harding’s qualifications as a bricklayer, he is currently unemployed, compounding his personal struggles.
After careful consideration, the magistrates sentenced Harding to a 12-month community order. As part of his sentence, he is required to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and attend 20 rehabilitation requirement days. Additionally, Harding must wear an alcohol monitoring tag for 30 days to address his alcohol-related behavior. Furthermore, he was ordered to pay £1,500 in compensation to Mr Graham Francis, along with a £114 court surcharge and £85 in costs.
Crime
More than 2,000 child sexual abuse image crimes recorded in Wales last year

Private messaging platforms exploited by criminals
MORE than 2,000 child sexual abuse image offences were recorded by police forces in Wales over the past year, according to Home Office data. The figures highlight the exploitation of private messaging platforms by criminals to share illegal material, prompting renewed calls for stronger regulations.
The NSPCC has urged the UK Government to take decisive action to protect children in private messaging environments. The charity, along with Barnardo’s and the Marie Collins Foundation, has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, calling for Ofcom’s approach to private messaging to be strengthened.
Six offences recorded daily
The data shows that 2,194 child sexual abuse image crimes were recorded by Welsh police forces in 2023/24, equating to around six offences per day.
- Dyfed-Powys Police recorded 192 offences.
- South Wales Police recorded 964 offences.
- North Wales Police recorded 535 offences.
- Gwent Police recorded 503 offences.
A separate Freedom of Information request by the NSPCC revealed that, in cases where police documented the platform used by perpetrators, half (50%) of offences occurred on Snapchat. Meta platforms accounted for a quarter of cases, with 11% on Instagram, 7% on Facebook, and 6% on WhatsApp.
Call for stronger protections
In their letter to the Government, child protection charities expressed concerns over Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Code of Practice, published in December 2024. The charities argue that the code does not go far enough to protect children from the worst forms of abuse on private messaging services, despite the Online Safety Act aiming to address such risks.
Ofcom has stated that platforms are only required to remove illegal content where it is ‘technically feasible’. However, campaigners warn that this loophole allows some services to avoid implementing basic protections for children.
Police data suggests that private messaging platforms are involved in more child sexual abuse image crimes than any other type of online platform. Offenders exploit the secrecy of these services to target children and avoid detection.
The role of end-to-end encryption
The NSPCC is calling on the UK Government to push Ofcom to strengthen its codes of practice and ensure online safety regulations adequately tackle this issue. The charity also wants private messaging services, including those using end-to-end encryption, to introduce robust safeguards.
End-to-end encryption is a secure communication system where only the sender and recipient can access messages, preventing service providers from detecting illegal content. This, campaigners argue, creates a ‘safe haven’ for child abusers.
Childline reports rise in cases
Data from Childline provides further evidence of the dangers of private messaging platforms. Last year, the service delivered 903 counselling sessions to children experiencing blackmail or threats to expose or share sexual images online—a 7% increase compared to 2022/23.
One 13-year-old girl who sought help from Childline said: “I sent nude pics and videos to a stranger I met on Snapchat. I think he’s in his thirties. I don’t know what to do next. I told him I didn’t want to send him any more pictures and he started threatening me, telling me that he’ll post the pictures online. I’m feeling really angry with myself and lonely. I would like support from my friends, but I don’t want to talk to them about it as I’m worried about being judged.”
NSPCC chief executive’s warning
Chris Sherwood, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “These offences cause tremendous harm and distress to children, with much of this illegal material being repeatedly shared and viewed online. It is an outrage that in 2025 we are still seeing a blatant disregard from tech companies to prevent this illegal content from proliferating on their sites.
“Having separate rules for private messaging services lets tech bosses off the hook from putting robust protections in place. This enables crimes to continue to flourish on their platforms even though we now have the Online Safety Act.”
He added: “The Government must set out how they will take a bold stand against abuse on private messaging services and hold tech companies accountable for keeping children safe, even if it requires changes to the platform’s design. There can be no excuse for inaction or delay.”
Crime
Mother accused of murdering six-year-old son set to appear in court

A MOTHER accused of murdering her son and attempting to kill her father is set to appear in court next month.
Karolina Zurawska, 41, of Cwm Du Close, Gendros, Swansea, is charged with the murder of her six-year-old son, Alexander Zurawski, whose body was discovered at a property in Swansea in August last year. She is also accused of attempting to murder her father, 67-year-old Krzysztof Siwi, on the same occasion.
Zurawska was due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Monday but was not produced from custody. A plea hearing has now been scheduled for March 3. She remains in custody.
Following Alexander’s death, his family described him as a “very kind child”. They said: “Alexander was always well-behaved and never naughty. He was very clever and very mature for his age. He had great understanding of facts. Alexander was always helpful, always eager to assist with cooking and cleaning.
“Alexander spoke both English and Polish and would often correct his parents with their English if they got words wrong. He was amazing.”
Crime
Woman ‘humiliated and embarrassed’ after alleged childhood rape

A COURT has heard how a woman was left feeling ‘humiliated and embarrassed’ after being allegedly raped by a man when she was just nine years old.
“I feel so humiliated,” the victim told a jury sitting at Swansea Crown Court on Monday.
“He told me that if I ever told anybody, they wouldn’t believe me and I wouldn’t have any friends. I took his word for it.
“I was so scared that I used to wet the bed. And I knew why I was doing it…it was because I was scared.”
Gary Hicks, is accused of raping the female sometime between July 7, 1987, and December 31, 1989, when she was aged between 9 and 11.
This week Hicks, 63, appeared before a jury where he denied the charge.
The Crown claimed that at some point between 1987 and 1989, Hicks entered an upstairs bedroom in the house in the Milford Haven area where the child was living at the time of the alleged offence.
“She’d fallen asleep on the floor and Gary Hicks entered the room and laid her on her front,” said Daniel Jones, KC, for the Crown.
“She felt the defendant lift her hips and he penetrated her vagina with his hands from behind.”
Mr Jones claimed the assault lasted ‘a few minutes’.
“Gary Hicks said that if she ever told anyone about the abuse, she would not be believed and she’d have no friends,” he said. “‘Who was going to believe a young girl over a grown up?”
However when the child reached adulthood, she began telling people in confidence. These included her psychotherapist in 1993, her GP in 2006, a work colleague, and close members of her family. Finally, in the early hours of October, 2022 the victim made a call to Dyfed-Powys Police claiming that Gary Hicks had raped her when she was a child.
Hicks, formerly of Milford Haven, who now resides in Oregon Way, Luton denies the charge of rape.
His trial is expected to continue throughout this week.
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