Crime

Two learner drivers jailed for causing the death of Ella Smith, 21

Published

2 years ago

January 19, 2024

Family speaks out after Jago Clarke and Emma Price are sentenced for death by dangerous driving

TWO learner drivers have been jailed for 10 years after their ‘stupidity and arrogance’ caused the death of a ‘beautiful and kind’ carer.

Ella Smith’s family spoke out in court to explain the devastation and lasting impact the actions of Jago

Clarke and Emma Price had on their lives, as the pair were sentenced for causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The court had heard how Clarke was driving Ella’s car on June 13, 2021, when he crashed into an oncoming vehicle. An investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police was able to prove he was driving competitively with Emma Price as they made their way home from Broadhaven Beach.

Tragically, Ella died at the scene of the crash, which her dad Adrian attended as an on duty fire fighter – an experience he said ‘haunts’ him.

Describing his daughter as having ‘a beautiful smile, infectious giggle and a pure heart’, Adrian spoke in court about the ‘enormous pain’ he feels having lost her.

“Ella was 21, she had her life ahead of her and has lost so much,” he said.

“She will never have the chance to get married, I will never be able to walk her down the aisle, she will never get the chance to look amazing in her wedding dress. Ella will never become a mum and I will never be a grandfather to Ella’s children.”

“I miss and yearn for Ella every day, for a cuddle, for a chat, for a random conversation,” he added. “The closest I get now is a conversation each morning and each evening with her ashes, where we discuss my day and I tell her I love her, give her photograph a kiss and tell her she is the brightest star in the sky.”

The court heard how 21-year-olds Clarke and Price were seen swerving their vehicles and driving dangerously after leaving the beach. Ella had not spent the day with the group, but had gone to Broad Haven that evening when Clarke asked her for a lift. Her devastated family do not know why he was driving her car when he careered into another vehicle.

The collision also caused serious injuries to the passenger in the other car. Daisy Buck – she will also be reading out a VPS in court.

The blue Citroen being driven by Price was not physically involved in the collision, however a lengthy investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police proved the manner of her driving was sufficient to be charged with causing Ella’s death.

Sergeant Sara John, of the force’s Serious Collision Unit, said: “This has been an extremely complex and investigation from the outset, which required us to obtain telematics data from manufacturers in Italy.

This line of enquiry was time consuming but crucial in proving that both Clarke and Price were driving competitively, and ultimately driving dangerously at the point of impact.

This case is yet again another example of the tragedy inflicted on families by the sheer arrogance and stupidity of dangerous drivers. Both Clarke and Price displayed a flagrant disregard for the safety of other road users that day, a decision which cost Ella her life and destroyed the lives of her family. The collision also resulted in Daisy Buck sustaining serious injuries which will impact her for the rest of her life.”

Both Clarke, of Sunningdale Drive, Hubberston, Milford Haven, and Price, of Holloway, Haverfordwest, were found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving following a trial at Swansea Crown Court. Price was also found guilty of causing death by driving while unlicensed and uninsured.

Today, they were sentenced to 10 years in prison, with a six year driving ban.

Before the sentence was imposed, Ella’s mum Maria Smith spoke directly to the defendants, saying: “You knew little of Ella, but you knew you could manipulate and take advantage of my daughter who was kind, considerate and helpful.

“Ella was with you both for approximately 10 minutes of her 21 years of life, and your actions, your stupidity and arrogance have killed her.

“You have robbed us of our darling girl and her future, robbed her of happiness and altered our lives in a way we will never recover from.”

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.

Crime

Pembrokeshire man sent to Crown Court over death by careless driving charge

Published

6 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been sent to the Crown Court to stand trial accused of causing a death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Alexander MacCallum, aged 28, of Beach Road, Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 18).

The court heard that MacCallum is charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving following an incident on Thursday (June 13, 2024).

No plea was entered at this stage of the proceedings.

Magistrates were told the case was too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ level and ordered that it be sent to the Crown Court for trial.

MacCallum was sent to the Crown Court on unconditional bail, with further proceedings to take place at a later date.

The prosecution was brought by Dyfed-Powys Police. No defence solicitor was formally recorded at the hearing.

Crime

Breakthrough in 1993 Tooze murders: 86-year-old man arrested after cold case review

Published

9 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE investigating one of Wales’ most disturbing unsolved double murders have arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of killing elderly couple Harry and Megan Tooze more than three decades ago.

South Wales Police confirmed the arrest on Tuesday (Dec 17), following a forensic cold case review into the 1993 killings, which shocked the rural community of Llanharry and cast a long shadow over the South Wales justice system.

Harry Tooze, aged 64, and his wife Megan, 67, were found shot dead with a shotgun at their isolated Ty Ar y Waun farmhouse on July 26, 1993. Their bodies were discovered inside a cowshed on the property, concealed beneath carpet and hay bales, having been shot in the head at close range.

The brutality of the killings and the remoteness of the scene prompted one of the most high-profile murder investigations in Wales at the time.

Conviction later quashed

In 1995, Cheryl Tooze’s then-boyfriend, Jonathan Jones, was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. The prosecution case rested heavily on a partial fingerprint found on a teacup at the farmhouse.

However, the conviction unravelled just a year later. In 1996, the Court of Appeal quashed the verdict, ruling it unsafe and highlighting serious concerns about the reliability of the fingerprint evidence. The decision was widely regarded as a significant miscarriage of justice.

Jones, who consistently maintained his innocence, was supported throughout the ordeal by Cheryl Tooze, whom he later married. The couple have since spoken publicly about the devastating impact of the case on their lives.

Despite renewed appeals and periodic reviews, no one else was charged and the murders remained unresolved for nearly 30 years.

Operation Vega and forensic advances

In 2023, marking the 30th anniversary of the killings, South Wales Police launched a full cold case review under Operation Vega. The review was led by forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop, one of the UK’s most respected figures in forensic investigation.

Detectives re-examined preserved exhibits from the original crime scene using modern forensic and DNA techniques that were not available in the early 1990s. Police have not disclosed which items were re-analysed or what evidence led to the latest arrest.

On December 17, officers arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Harry and Megan Tooze. He remains in police custody while enquiries continue. No further details about the suspect have been released at this stage.

Police appeal for information

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Mark Lewis described the arrest as a significant moment, but stressed that the investigation is ongoing.

He said: “While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing. This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

“Even with the passage of time, I would urge anyone who has information about the murders, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and speak to police.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact South Wales Police, quoting occurrence number 2300016841.