Crime

Mother jailed for Stealing £50,000 of daughters’ inheritance

Published

2 years ago

May 31, 2024

KATHERINE HILL, 53, from Alltwen in Pontardawe, Neath Port Talbot, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing £50,000 of inheritance from her two daughters out of “greed and spite.”

Her 93-year-old father, Gerald Hill from Fairwood in Swansea, received a 12-month suspended sentence for his involvement in the fraud.

The sentencing took place on Friday at Swansea Crown Court, where Recorder Greg Bull KC described the defendants as “thoroughly dishonest people.” The court heard that the money was left to Katherine Hill’s daughters, Jessica and Gemma Thomas, by their grandmother, Margaret Hill, who passed away in 2013. Katherine Hill also inherited approximately £40,000 from her late mother’s estate.

Prosecutor James Hartson explained that the inheritance for the sisters was to be held in trust until they turned 25, with Katherine and Gerald Hill serving as trustees. However, between March 2016 and March 2017, the account was emptied in 10 withdrawals, with £35,000 withdrawn in just three transactions.

The fraudulent activity was uncovered in 2018 when Gemma Thomas sought to access some of the funds for a house deposit. Initially, a civil investigation was launched, but the family eventually contacted the police.

The court was told that Katherine Hill recruited her elderly father to assist in the fraud, exploiting him to carry out her scheme. Mr Hartson highlighted that Gerald Hill’s involvement was due to coercion by his daughter, making his culpability considerably less.

The victims’ initial attempts to recover the stolen funds through insurers were thwarted by misleading submissions from the defendants, claiming the money had already been received. The stolen funds remain unaccounted for, and a proceeds of crime act will be initiated to recover them.

The theft has had a profound impact on the victims. In a statement, Gemma Thomas described the emotional and financial toll, stating she has been left in significant debt and suffers from anxiety. Jessica Thomas, now 21, recounted her severe mental trauma and need for counselling during her teenage years. She expressed relief at the sentencing but doubted her mother would ever feel remorse for her actions.

Jessica also voiced her disgust at her grandfather’s involvement, noting how he and her mother had essentially abandoned them. Despite the family’s betrayal, she hopes to move forward now that justice has been served.

In defence of Katherine Hill, Matt Murphy noted her lack of previous convictions and her previous role overseeing numerous accounts at a high street bank. Harry Dickens, representing Gerald Hill, emphasised his client’s advanced age and isolation, stating he is unlikely to reoffend.

Addressing Katherine Hill, Recorder Bull condemned her actions, saying she was driven by envy and malice. “You were so annoyed that your daughters received more money than you, that you took their inheritance,” he said. “You did it in greed and spite, using the money as a weapon against your own daughters. I can’t imagine a more cynical breach of trust than this.”

As Katherine Hill was led away to begin her sentence, she kissed her father on the cheek, marking a sombre end to a case of familial betrayal and greed.

For further updates and community news, stay tuned to The Pembrokeshire Herald.

Crime

Swansea man dies weeks after release from troubled HMP Parc: Investigation launched

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man has died just weeks after being released from HMP Parc, the Bridgend prison now at the centre of a national crisis over inmate deaths and post-release failures.

Darren Thomas, aged 52, died on 13 November 2025 — less than a month after leaving custody. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has confirmed an independent investigation into his death, which is currently listed as “in progress”.

Born on 9 April 1973, Mr Thomas had been under post-release supervision following a period at HMP/YOI Parc, the G4S-run prison that recorded seventeen deaths in custody in 2024 — the highest in the UK.

His last known legal appearance was at Swansea Crown Court in October 2024, where he stood trial accused of making a threatening phone call and two counts of criminal damage. During the hearing, reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald at the time, the court heard he made threats during a heated call on 5 October 2023.

Mr Thomas denied the allegations but was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to a custodial term, which led to his imprisonment at HMP Parc.

Parc: A prison in breakdown

HMP Parc has faced sustained criticism throughout 2024 and 2025. A damning unannounced inspection in January found:

Severe self-harm incidents up 190%
Violence against staff up 109%
Synthetic drugs “easily accessible” across wings
Overcrowding at 108% capacity

In the first three months of 2024 alone, ten men died at Parc — part of a wider cluster of twenty PPO-investigated deaths since 2022. Six occurred within three weeks, all linked to synthetic drug use.

Leaked staff messages in 2025 exposed a culture of indifference, including one officer writing: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.”

Six G4S employees have been arrested since 2023 in connection with alleged assaults and misconduct.

The danger after release

Deaths shortly after release from custody are a growing national concern. Ministry of Justice data shows 620 people died while under community supervision in 2024–2025, with 62 deaths occurring within 14 days of release.

Short sentences — common at Parc — leave little time for effective rehabilitation or release planning. Homelessness, loss of drug tolerance and untreated mental-health conditions create a high-risk environment for those newly released.

The PPO investigates all such deaths to determine whether prisons or probation failed in their duties. Reports often take 6–12 months and can lead to recommendations.

A system at breaking point

The crisis at Parc reflects wider failures across UK prisons and probation. A July 2025 House of Lords report described the service as “not fit for purpose”. More than 500 people die in custody annually, with campaigners warning that private prisons such as Parc prioritise cost-cutting over care.

The PPO investigation into the death of Darren Thomas continues.

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Court Reporter

A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

9 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.