Man accused of killing ‘proud father of two’ after violent flat attack in Morriston

A JULY has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a Swansea man accused of murdering his own brother in what prosecutors described as a violent and frenzied attack inside a family home.

The case, heard at Swansea Crown Court, centres on the death of Martin Steel, aged 48, who was found fatally injured at his flat in Hill View Crescent, Morriston.

Darren Steel, 41, denies murdering his brother.

Martin was described during proceedings as a “proud father of two” whose sudden death devastated his family and shocked neighbours in the close-knit community.

Concern was first raised on the morning of May 20, 2023, when neighbours noticed Martin’s dog whining alone in the garden at around 8.30am. Repeated calls and knocks at the door went unanswered.

The court heard that his mother, Dianne Steel, had planned to go shopping with her son that day. When she could not reach him, her fears grew and emergency services were called.

Paramedics and police forced entry to the flat and attempted CPR, but Martin was pronounced dead at 11.06am.

Giving emotional evidence, Mrs Steel told jurors she found her son “slumped in his chair in his living room, probably dead and covered in blood”.

Prosecutor Andrew Jones KC said the injuries were consistent with a sustained and violent assault inside the property.

During police interviews played to the court, Darren Steel admitted being at the flat the night before. He claimed he, his brother and his girlfriend had been taking heroin together.

He told officers the situation escalated after he believed Martin was “coming onto” his girlfriend, alleging this sparked a loss of control and a frenzied attack.

The prosecution argue the violence went far beyond self-defence and amounted to murder.

Jurors were taken through forensic evidence, witness testimony and the defendant’s account of events over several weeks of trial. Defence counsel urged them to consider the chaotic circumstances, including drug use and heightened emotions, when assessing Darren Steel’s state of mind at the time.

After closing speeches and the judge’s legal directions, the case was formally handed to the jury on Wednesday (Feb 12).

They will now deliberate in private before returning a verdict, with the court due to reconvene once a decision has been reached.

Offender had 1,101 unlawful images of children stored on his devices, including 122 Category A images – the most serious classification.

A PENDINE man has been jailed after admitting abducting a teenage girl, supplying her with drugs and keeping more than a thousand indecent images of children.

Richard Knight, aged 73, from Pendine, Carmarthenshire, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Swansea Crown Court following what police described as a lengthy and complex investigation.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police were alerted in the early hours of Monday, April 11, 2022 after a distressed 15-year-old girl phoned her mother asking to be collected, saying she had taken drugs at Knight’s home.

Police forced entry to the address after receiving no answer and finding concerns for the girl’s safety. Inside, officers discovered a small cannabis grow but no occupants. It later emerged Knight had driven the girl home himself.

He was arrested shortly afterwards on suspicion of drink driving and drug offences. A further search of the property uncovered several types of controlled drugs and a number of digital devices.

During interview, the teenager told officers she had agreed to meet Knight but believed he knew her age and that she had not told her mother where she was going. She described being given various drugs, including substances hidden inside fruit pastels. CCTV later showed Knight buying the sweets before collecting her.

Digital forensic analysis revealed 1,101 unlawful images of children stored on his devices, including 122 Category A images – the most serious classification.

Drug experts valued the cannabis grow at between £6,000 and £20,000. Officers also seized six different types of Class A drugs from the address.

Guilty pleas before trial

Knight was charged with 12 offences including child abduction, possession and making of indecent images of children, and being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

He admitted the drug offences in April last year and later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images. Although he initially denied child abduction, he changed his plea immediately before a trial was due to begin at court in January.

‘Very serious case’

Detective Constable Jon Gouldson said: “This was a very serious case involving a man who groomed a young and vulnerable girl for his own satisfaction.

“There is no doubt he knew that taking this 15-year-old into his home without parental permission was wrong.

“Taking or keeping a child under 16 without consent is a crime. There are no grey areas.

“We welcome today’s sentence and remain committed to bringing offenders like this before the courts.”

Support available

Anyone concerned about their own behaviour or thoughts towards children can seek confidential help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which runs the Stop It Now service aimed at preventing abuse before it happens.

Unanimous jury hears harrowing medical evidence during trial at Swansea Crown Court

A WEST WALES man has been found guilty of killing his five-month-old son after subjecting him to what medical experts described as violent shaking that caused catastrophic brain and eye injuries.

Thomas Morgan was convicted unanimously by a jury following a trial into the death of baby Jensen-Lee, who suffered fatal injuries at the family home on Saturday (Mar 30, 2024).

The court heard that after the injuries were inflicted, Morgan did not immediately call emergency services. Instead, he contacted his partner, despite later telling the court that his phone was not working properly.

Jurors were told this delay was significant when considering his actions in the crucial minutes after the baby became unresponsive.

Giving evidence on Thursday (Feb 6), Morgan told the court: “He was limp, I thought it was normal.”

Describing the moments after picking up his son, he said: “I scooped sick out of his mouth. I remember graphic bits, the same way I have nightmares, but I don’t remember what I did.”

Asked directly how hard he had shaken the child, Morgan replied: “I can’t remember how much force I used. I was in a total state of panic. I couldn’t describe it. I never intended to harm him.”

Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC challenged his account, suggesting the force used must have been extreme given the scale of the injuries later uncovered.

Medical specialists gave evidence that the baby’s injuries could not have been caused accidentally or by normal handling.

Dr Stavros, Head of Paediatric Neurology, told the jury there was no sign of an impact injury to the head but confirmed extensive internal damage consistent with violent shaking.

He said Jensen-Lee had acute subdural haemorrhages across multiple areas of the brain as well as bleeding along the spine.

The consultant described the findings as highly abnormal and severe.

In one stark moment, he told jurors that if someone were seen shaking a child with that level of force in public, “we would run over to stop it.”

A children’s eye specialist, Mr Abduls from a Birmingham teaching hospital, described what he called catastrophic eye trauma.

The retinal bleeding and tearing was so extensive that he said he could not tell which images belonged to the left or right eye, with photographs labelled simply “Eye A” and “Eye B”.

Jurors heard that such injuries are strongly associated with violent acceleration and deceleration forces.

Morgan was arrested ten days after the incident. When detained, he told officers: “I don’t know what injuries — he was my boy, I tried to help him.”

During closing speeches, the defence urged jurors to remain objective.

Counsel said: “We all have Jensen-Lee at the forefront of our minds. It’s difficult to think of a more emotive case than this. Consider this case with your heads, not your hearts.”

After deliberating, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

There were audible cries from the public gallery as the decision was delivered, where members of Jensen-Lee’s family had attended throughout the trial.

Morgan is due to be sentenced on Wednesday (Feb 25).