Crime

Homeless man jailed after threatening M&S staff with stick

Published

10 months ago

February 11, 2025

STAFF at a local branch of Marks and Spencer have spoken of their fear at being confronted by a customer who was shouting at them while brandishing a three-foot stick.

“I’ve worked in the store for the last ten years, but I’ve never experienced a male being that aggressive,” said Aly Barnes in a victim impact statement read out to Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“This was the first time I’ve ever been in genuine fear of a customer.”

The incident took place in the Carmarthen branch of Marks and Spencer on January 24 when Martin Sands, 45, was seen entering the food hall and placing some steaks inside his rucksack.

Store worker Aly Barnes gestured towards him to put the steaks back, to which Sands replied, “It was worth a try.”

“Aly Barnes asked him to leave, but the defendant became aggressive,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“He told her he was homeless and lived outside, across the street.”

Sands continued to approach Ms Barnes, forcing her to raise her arm to cover her head.

“She believed this was necessary to protect herself from anything he would do to her,” said Nia James.

“She could feel him spitting saliva in her face while he was shouting at her.”

Hearing the commotion, Ms Barnes’ colleague, Katarzyna Evans, approached Sands and attempted to de-escalate the situation. Sands responded, shouting, “You devil worshipper.”

Hearing the aggressive shouting, a store manager entered the food hall where he saw Sands moving closer to Ms Barnes.

“He put himself between them, because he felt that Martin Sands was far too close to the pair, and believed he was going to punch one of them because he was so aggressive.”

The court was told that earlier that afternoon, Sands had been seen entering the Ladybug store in Carmarthen by an on-duty security guard. He was heard saying to a female member of staff, “I’m going to hit this stick over his head.”

“The security guard knew the threat was directed at him, and the female member of staff was shocked,” said Nia James.

After repeating the threat, Sands was told to leave the store and was seen walking down Lammas Street, waving the stick and shouting.

Following his arrest in Marks and Spencer, Sands was taken to Carmarthen police custody suite, where he became increasingly agitated, throwing food and a cup of coffee over the wall. This had to be removed by a contracted cleaner at a cost to Dyfed-Powys Police of £188.

Appearing before magistrates via a video link from Swansea Prison, Sands pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive, or insulting words and behaviour likely to cause harassment; common assault of Aly Barnes; common assault of Katarzyna Evans; and causing criminal damage to a police cell.

Sands was represented in court by solicitor Michael Kelleher.

“He was living rough in Carmarthen and he overreacted to the staff in Marks and Spencer, who believed he was going to steal the steaks,” he said.

“This wasn’t his intention as he had the money to pay. He’s very frustrated at his behaviour, but he realises now that at the time he was too proud to ask for help for his homelessness.”

Sands was sentenced to ten weeks in custody. He was ordered to pay £50 compensation to Aly Barnes and Katarzyna Evans, a £154 court surcharge, and £85 costs.

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

16 minutes ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.

Crime

Pembrokeshire man sent to Crown Court over death by careless driving charge

Published

1 hour ago

December 18, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been sent to the Crown Court to stand trial accused of causing a death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Alexander MacCallum, aged 28, of Beach Road, Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 18).

The court heard that MacCallum is charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving following an incident on Thursday (June 13, 2024).

No plea was entered at this stage of the proceedings.

Magistrates were told the case was too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ level and ordered that it be sent to the Crown Court for trial.

MacCallum was sent to the Crown Court on unconditional bail, with further proceedings to take place at a later date.

The prosecution was brought by Dyfed-Powys Police. No defence solicitor was formally recorded at the hearing.

Crime

Breakthrough in 1993 Tooze murders: 86-year-old man arrested after cold case review

Published

4 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE investigating one of Wales’ most disturbing unsolved double murders have arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of killing elderly couple Harry and Megan Tooze more than three decades ago.

South Wales Police confirmed the arrest on Tuesday (Dec 17), following a forensic cold case review into the 1993 killings, which shocked the rural community of Llanharry and cast a long shadow over the South Wales justice system.

Harry Tooze, aged 64, and his wife Megan, 67, were found shot dead with a shotgun at their isolated Ty Ar y Waun farmhouse on July 26, 1993. Their bodies were discovered inside a cowshed on the property, concealed beneath carpet and hay bales, having been shot in the head at close range.

The brutality of the killings and the remoteness of the scene prompted one of the most high-profile murder investigations in Wales at the time.

Conviction later quashed

In 1995, Cheryl Tooze’s then-boyfriend, Jonathan Jones, was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. The prosecution case rested heavily on a partial fingerprint found on a teacup at the farmhouse.

However, the conviction unravelled just a year later. In 1996, the Court of Appeal quashed the verdict, ruling it unsafe and highlighting serious concerns about the reliability of the fingerprint evidence. The decision was widely regarded as a significant miscarriage of justice.

Jones, who consistently maintained his innocence, was supported throughout the ordeal by Cheryl Tooze, whom he later married. The couple have since spoken publicly about the devastating impact of the case on their lives.

Despite renewed appeals and periodic reviews, no one else was charged and the murders remained unresolved for nearly 30 years.

Operation Vega and forensic advances

In 2023, marking the 30th anniversary of the killings, South Wales Police launched a full cold case review under Operation Vega. The review was led by forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop, one of the UK’s most respected figures in forensic investigation.

Detectives re-examined preserved exhibits from the original crime scene using modern forensic and DNA techniques that were not available in the early 1990s. Police have not disclosed which items were re-analysed or what evidence led to the latest arrest.

On December 17, officers arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Harry and Megan Tooze. He remains in police custody while enquiries continue. No further details about the suspect have been released at this stage.

Police appeal for information

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Mark Lewis described the arrest as a significant moment, but stressed that the investigation is ongoing.

He said: “While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing. This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

“Even with the passage of time, I would urge anyone who has information about the murders, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and speak to police.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact South Wales Police, quoting occurrence number 2300016841.