Crime

Woman with complex mental health needs jailed for spitting at police

Published

2 weeks ago

September 5, 2024

Rose Voon, a 40-year-old woman from Aberystwyth, was sentenced today at Swansea Crown Court to three months in prison for two charges of assaulting an emergency worker. The sentences will run concurrently, and due to the five months she has already spent on remand at Eastwood Park prison, she was ordered to be released immediately following the hearing.

The case revolved around an incident on April 1, when Voon, while in custody at a police station in Aberystwyth, became aggressive, swore, and spat at two police officers and a nurse.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV. Although no physical injuries were reported, one of the officers, PC Heron, expressed significant discomfort and concern over the potential health risks associated with being spat on.

Voon, who is diagnosed as having multiple personality disorder, had been at the police station following an earlier unrelated arrest. She had a stress-induced mental health episode during that arrest, leading to her actions.

During sentencing, His Honour Judge Huw Rees emphasised the complexity of Voon’s situation, citing her extensive history of mental health challenges.

Voon’s defence team urged the court to consider these factors, arguing that she required appropriate support upon her release.

They advocated for her placement in a secure environment where she could access the necessary treatment.

The court was informed that, two days before the hearing, an assessment had been conducted to identify suitable accommodation for Voon.

However, the court also heard that no placement was currently available, and it could take several months before one becomes accessible.

The probation service recommended a limited community order focused on rehabilitation activities, acknowledging the necessity for Voon to transition from her current residence to assisted living.

Judge Rees, however, noted the lack of a clear plan for effectively managing Voon’s needs within the community.

He expressed doubt that a community order with rehabilitation activities would be sufficient, given her complex mental health issues. Despite this, he recognised the immediate need for her release due to the time she had already served in custody.

Voon’s situation remains precarious; while she requires a secure environment, such as supported accommodation, but none is currently available to her.

In his closing remarks, Judge Rees described Voon as an “extremely vulnerable individual” who had suffered significantly due to circumstances beyond her control.

He expressed hope that upon her release, she would return to her accommodation in Aberystwyth and continue working with her community mental health team and social worker.

Voon offered apologies via her counsel to all parties involved in the incident, acknowledging her misconduct and expressing remorse. She was advised to personally apologise to the officers she had assaulted if the opportunity arose.

The judge concluded by warning Voon that repeated offences could lead to longer sentences in the future. He expressed his hope that she would cooperate with those trying to help her and make the necessary changes to avoid further legal trouble. A statutory surcharge was applied, payable within six months.

Voon is expected to return to Aberystwyth, where arrangements are being made to ensure she remains in a supportive and secure environment until better residential support can be provided—support that she urgently needs.

However, the case raises a critical question: why was a person with such complex mental health issues charged and jailed for a minor offence, rather than being provided with the support she so clearly needed? Her incarceration has led to a deterioration in her mental health, including her being seriously assaulted in prison.

When asked why she had pleaded guilty to the two charges of assaulting an emergency worker, Voon revealed that she didn’t even realise she had, raising concerns about her ability to follow the legal proceedings or understand why she was in jail in the first place.

The evidence presented in court indicated that she had no memory of the incident.

Crime

Disgraced former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards faces sentencing over indecent images

Published

19 hours ago

September 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

Huw Edwards, the disgraced former BBC newsreader, is set to appear in court on Monday (Sept 16), to learn his fate after admitting to possessing sexual images of children. This marks his first return to court since his admission earlier this year.

Edwards, 63 and from Carmarthenshire, was a prominent figure at the BBC, earning a salary of over £470,000. He was a regular presenter of News at Ten and the face of major national events, including the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022. His fall from grace began in April when he resigned from his BBC role, and three months later, he pleaded guilty to having indecent images of children on his phone, sent to him by another man via WhatsApp.

On July 31, Edwards appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he was surrounded by a crowd of journalists and photographers. During the hearing, he admitted to possessing 41 indecent images of children. Among these were seven category A images, the most serious type, showing abuse, including penetrative sexual activity. Disturbingly, two of these images depicted a child aged between seven and nine.

The scandal involving Edwards emerged in the summer of 2023 when he was identified as the well-known BBC presenter at the centre of allegations involving payments of over £35,000 to a teenager in return for images. However, the police clarified that the indecent images for which Edwards was charged were not connected to this teenager. The investigation into Edwards began after officers seized a phone during an unrelated probe, which revealed his participation in a WhatsApp conversation where he received the illegal images.

Edwards admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children. The court heard that he received these images from Alex Williams, who was convicted earlier this year of possessing prohibited images of children. The exchanges took place on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021, during which Edwards received a total of 377 sexual images, including the 41 indecent images of children.

In a conversation on 2nd February 2021, Williams asked Edwards whether the images he was sending featured individuals who were too young. Edwards responded by instructing him not to send any underage images. Nonetheless, he continued to receive illegal content, including seven category A images, 12 category B, and 22 category C.

The BBC faced criticism for continuing to pay Edwards a large salary while the criminal investigation was ongoing. The corporation defended its actions, stating that Edwards had not been charged while he was still employed but off air. A BBC spokesperson said, “If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge, he was no longer an employee of the BBC.”

Edwards is now awaiting sentencing as he returns to Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Crime

Shoplifter stole beer and assaulted woman, court hears

Published

2 days ago

September 14, 2024

Court Reporter

JOHN ASHBY, 37, of Laws Street in Pembroke Dock, has admitted to stealing crates of Stella Artois and assaulting a woman, Llanelli Magistrates’ Court heard.

Ashby faced four charges, including stealing five crates of Stella Artois worth £60 from Tesco Express in Tenby and two more boxes worth £25 from Iceland in Haverfordwest on August 19.

After being released on bail on August 19, he failed to surrender to bail on September 3. He was also charged with assault by beating, accused of attacking a woman in Pembroke Dock on September 4.

Ashby pleaded guilty to all charges on September 6. The case has been adjourned for a pre-sentence report, and he has been granted bail until his sentencing at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on September 24.