Crime

The antisemitic kidnapping in West Wales: The motives behind the crime

Published

9 months ago

March 16, 2025

THE SENTENCING of three men for an antisemitic kidnapping in Carmarthenshire has reignited concerns about the rise of hate crimes in the UK. The attack, which saw an Israeli music producer lured to a remote location under false pretenses before being assaulted and detained, has been widely condemned. The case raises significant questions about the intersections of racial hatred, criminal opportunism, and law enforcement’s ability to curb such incidents before they escalate.

***Mohammad Comrie, 22, Faiz Shah, 22, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, 20 were sentenced at Swansea Crown Court last week (Image: Herald)***

What sets this case apart is not just the brutality of the attack but the underlying motivations. As revealed in court, the perpetrators—Mohammad Comrie, 22, Faiz Shah, 22, and Elijah Ogunnubi-Sime, 20—were driven by a mix of financial gain and racial hatred. Using a fictitious music production company, they tricked the victim into traveling to Wales before launching their assault.

The court found that all three men had specifically targeted the victim due to his Jewish identity, making this a case of both opportunistic crime and hate-driven violence. The victim later described his experience as his “personal October 7th,” referencing the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, underscoring the deep psychological impact of the ordeal.

A growing trend of antisemitism

The case is not an isolated event but part of a wider pattern of increasing antisemitic incidents. Between October 2023 and September 2024, the Community Security Trust (CST) recorded 5,583 antisemitic incidents in the UK—a 204% rise from the previous year. This surge has heightened concerns about the safety of Jewish individuals across the country.

Experts have pointed to a combination of factors fueling this rise. Geopolitical tensions, the spread of extremist ideologies through social media, and a broader trend of rising hate crimes across Europe have all contributed to the problem. The rise of online radicalization has played a significant role in fostering antisemitic sentiments, creating an environment where individuals feel emboldened to act on their prejudices.

The kidnappers used face masks (Pic CPS)

Legal fallout and sentencing

On March 14, 2025, Swansea Crown Court sentenced Comrie, Shah, and Ogunnubi-Sime to eight years and one month each. Their guilty pleas on the first day of trial indicated a case so clear-cut that mounting a defense proved impossible. The sentencing, while providing a sense of justice, has left many questioning whether such punishments serve as an effective deterrent.

Hate crime laws in the UK have evolved over the years, but many campaigners argue they still do not go far enough. Calls for harsher penalties for racially motivated crimes have grown louder, with some urging for mandatory minimum sentences for hate-related offenses. Others believe that law enforcement needs greater resources to tackle hate crime networks before they escalate into violent incidents.

The role of law enforcement and community response

Dyfed-Powys Police acted swiftly in apprehending the suspects, aided by a police helicopter and ground units. However, the incident raises broader concerns about law enforcement’s role in preventing hate crimes before they happen. Investigations into the trio’s online activity could shed light on whether they were influenced by extremist content or whether they had connections to wider hate groups.

The CST has since provided security advice and psychological support to the victim, but the community remains on edge. The response from Jewish organizations has been one of renewed vigilance, with many calling for increased security measures at synagogues, schools, and cultural centers.

Mark Gardner, CST Chief Executive, summed up the gravity of the case: “The combination of criminality and anti-Jewish hatred could easily have resulted in a far worse, perhaps even fatal, outcome.”

The psychological and societal impact

Hate crimes do not just affect individual victims—they send shockwaves through entire communities. This incident has left the Jewish community in the UK feeling increasingly vulnerable.

Psychologists have long studied the effects of hate crimes on victims, noting that targeted attacks based on race or religion often lead to more profound and lasting trauma than random acts of violence. Victims of hate crimes frequently report heightened levels of anxiety, difficulty trusting others, and a lasting sense of insecurity. The fear that such an attack could happen again compounds the trauma, making recovery even more difficult.

Beyond the Jewish community, cases like this can have a corrosive effect on social cohesion. Hate crimes fuel division, create fear, and weaken the bonds that hold communities together. Experts warn that unless action is taken to address the root causes of antisemitic hate crimes, they will continue to rise.

The bigger picture

This case underscores the evolving nature of antisemitic threats—no longer limited to verbal abuse or vandalism but now involving calculated acts of violence. It serves as a stark warning that tackling hate crime requires more than just police intervention; it demands a societal shift in attitudes, stronger legal deterrents, and increased vigilance from both authorities and the public.

Ultimately, preventing hate crimes requires a multi-faceted approach. Education campaigns aimed at combating antisemitism, stronger enforcement against online hate speech, and greater community outreach efforts are all essential steps. The UK has long prided itself on being a multicultural and inclusive society, but incidents like this show that there is still much work to be done.

Crime

Swansea man dies weeks after release from troubled HMP Parc: Investigation launched

Published

9 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

10 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.

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

14 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.