Taha Soomro, 16, died after alleged assault at busy seaside park

POLICE have confirmed that a 16-year-old boy who died at Barry Island Pleasure Park on Friday evening (May 23) was the victim of an assault — and a 15-year-old has now been arrested and remanded in custody.

The teenager has been named as Taha Soomro, from Grangetown in Cardiff. Emergency services were called to the popular tourist spot just before 5:00pm following reports of a serious incident. Despite the best efforts of police and paramedics, Taha was pronounced dead at the scene.

A murder investigation has since been launched by South Wales Police, who say they are working to establish the full circumstances of the incident. Officers are appealing for witnesses who were at the park at the time to come forward.

A police spokesperson said: “We are continuing to investigate the death of a teenage boy at Barry Island Pleasure Park.
He has been named as Taha Soomro, 16, of Grangetown, Cardiff.
Police were called just before 5:00pm to a report of a 16-year-old suffering a medical episode. Despite the efforts of emergency services, Taha died at the scene.
A 15-year-old has been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in custody.”

The incident happened during the first evening of the school half-term holiday, with large crowds present in the park. Eyewitnesses described seeing police cars, ambulances, and the Wales Air Ambulance landing nearby shortly after 5:30pm.

The park reopened to the public on Saturday morning, issuing a statement that said:

“All of our team did their best to assist the emergency services but unfortunately the boy couldn’t be saved. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. The park remains open as usual.”

Hundreds of tributes have been posted online in memory of Taha. One message read: “Life is so cruel. Thinking of his family at this heartbreaking time.” Another added: “Thank you to the emergency services for trying to help this young lad. Rest in peace, Taha.”

Police are asking anyone with information or footage that could assist the investigation to get in touch, quoting reference 2500163611.

Faeces on walls, maggots in bedding: Judge brands home ”a pigsty’

A PEMBROKESHIRE mother has avoided an immediate prison sentence after admitting to neglecting her children in a home described by a judge as “appalling”.

The woman – who cannot be named to protect the identity of her children – appeared before Swansea Crown Court on two counts of wilful child neglect. The court heard that the conditions inside the family’s Milford Haven property were so dire that social services deemed it unfit for habitation.

The case came to light after repeated concerns were raised by the children’s schools, who had flagged ongoing issues with hygiene and wellbeing dating back to 2019. Prosecutor Ryan Bowen told the court that teachers noted a persistent foul smell, dirty fingernails, unwashed lunchboxes, and children frequently arriving at school tired and without sufficient food.

In one disturbing incident, a child told a teacher they were unable to sleep due to maggots in their bed. Another was seen using a mouldy towel after swimming lessons. When asked to describe their home, the children said their mother could not enter their bedrooms because of the mess.

On June 14 last year, officers from Pembrokeshire County Council visited the property following a school referral. What they discovered was described as appalling: faeces smeared on walls and floors upstairs, rubbish and flies in the children’s rooms, and a fridge full of expired food. A broken washing machine blocked the dining room.

Social workers instructed the family to temporarily move in with relatives. However, a follow-up inspection revealed little had changed, and the mother was subsequently arrested.

During police interview, she admitted the situation had deteriorated, claiming she had become “nose-blind” to the smell and had “put her head in the sand like an ostrich”.

Hannah George, defending, said her client was deeply ashamed and had taken steps to improve her situation following the loss of a close family member. The court was told the mother, who is in her thirties and has no previous convictions, had engaged with social services, mental health teams, and completed several parenting courses.

Although she no longer has custody of her children, social services are planning a phased return under supervision.

Judge Paul Thomas KC condemned the conditions as “a pigsty” and handed the woman a 21-month sentence, suspended for two years. She must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work and attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days.

A trial date has been set following the death of six-month-old Sophia Kelemen

A MAN has pleaded not guilty to causing the death of a baby girl who was struck by a car in a multi-storey car park in Tenby.

Flaviu Naghi, aged 34, appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he denied two charges: causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs.

The charges relate to an incident on January 2 in the ground-level section of a car park in Tenby, where six-month-old Sophia Kelemen, from the Leigh area of Manchester, was hit by a vehicle.

She died in hospital the following day.

During a short hearing, Mr Naghi, of Rondini Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, confirmed his name and entered his pleas. Judge Catherine Richards adjourned proceedings and granted him conditional bail.

He is expected to stand trial on June 2, with the case scheduled to last one week.

The prosecution is being led by Tom Crowther KC, while John Hipkin KC represents the defendant.

An inquest previously opened at Pembrokeshire Coroner’s Court in January, where it was heard that Sophia died from an intracranial haemorrhage as a result of a road traffic collision.