A WEST Wales man who offered hundreds of pounds for arson to be committed on his behalf has been jailed for 11 years, and handed a 20-year restraining order to protect the victim.

Michael Arundel, of Tycroes, Carmarthenshire, was found to have used the Telegram app to send messages to an audience of over 1,000 people asking for a car and house to be set on fire in February and April of this year.

When he was arrested by Dyfed-Powys Police, he was in possession of cocaine worth up to £62,500.

The 34-year-old of Mynyddbach was brought to police attention following a car fire on his street on February 28, 2024.

Witnesses reported seeing a man throw something at the black Audi before it ‘immediately exploded’ and the suspect ran away. When the owner of the car followed him, he recognised the suspect as being linked to Arundel.

It was later discovered that Arundel had sent messages inciting arson using the Telegram app. On examining his phone, police found the following messages from February 28:

• 7.07pm: ‘Anyone looking to make money? Car set on fire in Ammanford. Don’t waste my time I want it asap.’
• 7.09pm: ‘1^st person come set the Audi outside on fire I’ll personally come give you £200 cash.’
• 7.10pm: ‘If you’re not available tonight don’t stress. I’ll pay you £200 tomorrow night to do the house windows. I don’t f*** about and I don’t do things by half.’

He then threatened that if someone accepted the offer but didn’t commit the crime, he would ‘focus his attention’ on their house, before increasing his payment to £300.

As a result of this incident, police began to monitor the Telegram app, with their attention drawn to similar messages posted on April 26.

• 7.02pm: ‘Need a house set on fire. Cash ready … Tycroes area. Nice amount of cash for this job.’
• 7.03pm: photos of money bags
• 8.16pm: ‘Cash was paid … that last job is sorted. Watch what happens tonight (two laughing emojis)
• 8.17pm a series of emojis depicting three houses, three fires, three cars and three fires

Due to the high risk of the threats, Dyfed-Powys Police deployed two double crewed vehicles to the area.

A further message was sent in response to the police presence:

• 8.23pm: Feds all over the place (two laughing emojis). Those police vans won’t stay there all night … soon as they’re gone it will happen mark my words! If they do wait all night … it will happen tomorrow. You can’t delay the inevitable!! It’s happening 100%

Despite Arundel’s confidence, the attack was prevented by a prompt police response and the heightened presence of officers in the area.

Three days later, police on patrol in Llanelli spotted Arundel and knowing he was wanted for questioning, pulled up next to him in their car. Realising they were officers, Arundel made off down Marble Hall Road, refusing to stop when requested.

As he was running, he tried to take a plastic bag out of his pocket with the intention of discarding it, and subsequently fell over. The officers caught up with Arundel and managed to restrain him.

They retrieved the plastic bag which contained a white rock, later established to be a half kilo block of cocaine with a street value of up to £62,500, and also found a digital weighing scale in Arundel’s pocket.

He was arrested on suspicion of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply and conspiracy to commit arson.

It was discovered Arundel had booked into a hotel in Llanelli, where a phone was seized. Officers searched his home, seizing two phones, as well as his business address where they seized a phone, laptop, police issue fleece and hi-vis vest, weighing scales and a clear bag with traces of white powder. Herbal cannabis and an air rifle were also confiscated from a garage.

Further enquiries into the Telegram account being used by Arundel found evidence of cocaine, cannabis, ketamine and MDMA being offered for supply between August 2023 and April 2024.

He was ultimately charged with five counts of supplying class A drugs, and two counts of encouraging the commission of arson in the Ammanford area, pleading guilty to all charges thanks to the strength of police evidence against him.

On Friday, July 5 Arundel appeared at Swansea Crown Court, where he was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison. He was also handed a 20-year restraining order to protect the arson victim.

Detective Chief Inspector Rich Lewis said: “We are really pleased with the sentence handed to Arundel today. This has been an in-depth investigation with unusual circumstances in that the defendant was encouraging others to commit crimes on his behalf.

“The strength of evidence gathered was so strong that Arundel admitted all seven crimes, when clearly he had thought he could get away with offending if someone else committed the arson attack.

“These incidents could have had serious consequences, and it is very fortunate nobody was hurt by Arundel’s reckless behaviour.”

A COURT has heard how a man spat into the mouths of police officers and threatened to rape their wives, mothers and children after being conveyed to hospital for treatment.

Police were called to Glangwili Hospital on June 1 after paramedics reported that the man they were attempting to treat had become aggressive.

When they arrived, they discovered Christopher Evans lying on the floor, being restrained by several paramedics.

“He kicked out at one of the officers to the chest and told him to f*** off,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“He then spat towards one of the officers, making direct contact with his face.  And some went directly into his mouth.”
Ms Jackson said that Evans, who is of no fixed abode, continued to spit at the officers on three separate occasions.

A victim impact from one of the officers was read out to the court.

“It never crossed my mind that trying to help a person  in need would result in an incident like this,” he said.

“I now live in continuous fear of an illness or a virus that I may have contracted as a result of the spitting.

“This could have an impact on me for the rest of my life.”

Ms Jackson said that Evans’ unacceptable behaviour continued after he was placed inside the police van cage.

“He started kicking out and on several occasions he made threats that he was going to rape the officers’ mothers, wives and children,” she said.

She quoted him as saying to the officers, ‘One day I’ll be standing in your garden to kill you and your family.”

On June 30 Evans was seen to take two sandwiches from Greggs, Carmarthen, and walk out of the store without making any attempt to pay for them.  Officers then received a report from Tesco Extra stating that Evans, who had been banned from entering the store, had taken two bottles of beer from a shelf and was throwing them around the store.  He then left after stealing beer worth £3.18.

Miss Jackson concluded by saying the offences were committed within two days of Evans being granted conditional bail by District Judge Mark Layton at a previous hearing at Llanelli magistrates court.

Evans pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting emergency workers by beating, two charges of theft and a charge of criminal damage at Tesco Extra, Carmarthen.

He was sentenced to 26 weeks in custody. 

 He was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to each of the police officers, £6.56 compensation to Tesco Extra and £6 compensation to Greggs.  He must also pay £170 costs and a £154 court surcharge.  

A JCB driver has been disqualified by magistrates after being caught driving a Ford transit van through Maes y Frenni, Crymych.

Paul Smith, 48, was stopped by police officers on the morning of December 13.

“When they spoke to the driver, the driver admitted that he’d smoked cannabis the previous day,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

A roadside drugs wipe proved positive and further blood samples carried out at the police station confirmed Smith had 3 mcg of tetrahydrocannabinol in his system.  The prescribed legal limit is 2.

Smith, of Pwlldyfarch, Talog, Carmarthen , pleaded guilty to drug-driving.  He was legally represented in court by Mr Mchael Kelleher.

“He told the officers he’d taken the cannabis three days before, not one as was stated by the Crown Prosecution, and he believed this was sufficient time for the drugs to have metabolised from his system.,” he said.

“ He was completely honest with them.”

Mr Kelleher said that Smith is currently employed as a JCB driver.

“The ban is going to affect him considerably and will result in him now having to lose his job,” he said.

Smith was disqualified from driving for 12 months.  He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 surcharge.