News

Defendant carried a knife daily but had no intent to kill, says defence

Published

10 months ago

February 3, 2025

A TEENAGE girl, who can not be named for legal reasons, is standing trial for the attempted murder of two teachers and a fellow pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman on Wednesday (Apr 24, 2024). The incident, which sent shockwaves through the local community, resulted in emergency services rushing to the school following reports of a violent attack.

The defendant, now 14, denies three charges of attempted murder but has admitted to three counts of wounding with intent. The prosecution argues that her actions were premeditated, while the defence contends that she was a deeply troubled child who acted out of emotional turmoil rather than homicidal intent.

Defence argues lack of intent to kill

In her closing speech, defence barrister Ms Caroline Rees KC acknowledged that her client had already accepted responsibility for “very serious offences” but maintained that there was no evidence of a deliberate plan to kill. “She hasn’t tried to suggest that anything she did on that day was justified,” Ms Rees told the jury.

The court heard how the defendant, just 13 at the time of the attack, was a withdrawn and unhappy child who struggled with mental health issues. Ms Rees described her as someone who “carried a knife daily” but insisted that this was not a sign of intent to kill, rather a means of self-harm. “She wasn’t a child who really had people to turn to,” Ms Rees said. “Instead, she tended to hide herself away, to isolate, and she drew.”

The defence referenced disturbing drawings and writings found in the defendant’s possession, which painted a picture of a lonely child fixated on dark themes. However, Ms Rees argued that these were not evidence of an intention to commit murder, but rather an outlet for her emotional distress.

“Fast and furious” attack lacked planning, says defence

While acknowledging that the defendant disliked Mrs Elias and the pupil she attacked, Ms Rees contended that this did not equate to a desire to take their lives. She pointed to statements the defendant made before the incident, including calling a drink her “last drink” and expressing a desire to get expelled, as signs of impulsive behaviour rather than a calculated murder plot.

Describing the attack on Mrs Elias as “fast and furious and over in under a minute,” Ms Rees argued that if the defendant had intended to kill, she would have chosen a more secluded location where she was less likely to be interrupted. “She did not seek to take them somewhere private. She did not plan a scenario where she could act without being stopped,” Ms Rees said.

The jury was also reminded of witness testimony that alleged the defendant had shouted “I’m going to f****** kill you” during the attack. Ms Rees argued that these words, while shocking, were spoken in a moment of heightened emotion rather than evidence of intent. “The 13-year-old defendant was angry, out of control, she could have said anything.”

Doubts over targeting of second teacher and pupil

Ms Rees also challenged the prosecution’s case regarding Ms Hopkin, one of the teachers who was wounded. The defendant had no known grievance against her, and Ms Rees highlighted the absence of any prior animosity between them. “There is no evidence whatsoever of any malice towards her,” she said.

Similarly, the defence disputed the claim that the defendant had made a direct threat to the teenage victim. Ms Rees pointed to inconsistencies in witness statements and suggested that “drama and talk and gossip on Snapchat and WhatsApp after the event” may have influenced recollections of what was said. “Just because somebody says ‘I’ll kill you’ or threatens to kill, it doesn’t mean they mean it,” she told the jury.

Defendant’s police van comments reflect shock, not guilt

The jury also heard about comments made by the defendant in the police van after her arrest. Prosecutors argued that her words demonstrated a clear awareness of what she had done. However, Ms Rees suggested they instead showed a child who was beginning to realise the gravity of her actions. “We say reality is beginning to dawn. She’s slowly realising what she’s done,” she said.

His Honour Judge Paul Thomas KC has now summed up the evidence, instructing the jury on the legal definitions of intent and the significance of the defendant’s age in assessing her culpability. The jury has retired to consider their verdicts.

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.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

6 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.