Ten more defendants dealt with after disorder following deaths of two teenagers

EMOTIONAL scenes broke out at Cardiff Crown Court as another ten defendants were sentenced over the Ely riot which followed the deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans.

The boys, aged 16 and 15, died in May 2023 when an e-bike crashed in the Ely area of Cardiff. Their deaths led to a night of serious disorder, with police attacked, vehicles set alight and missiles thrown in the street.

On Thursday (June 18), Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke had to warn the public gallery after gasps, tears and shouted comments during the hearing.

Seven men were jailed for their roles in the violence.

Zayne Farrugia, 26, from Caerau, received the longest sentence of the day at six years. The court heard he joined the front line of the confrontation and threw a number of missiles at police.

Jordan Webster, 30, from Ely, was jailed for five years and seven months. He threw stones and helped move debris into the road as officers tried to bring the disorder under control.

Jamie Bateman, 27, from Caerau, was sentenced to five years and nine months after the court heard he threw missiles and encouraged others to use broken paving slabs during the riot.

Liam Williams, 21, from Rumney, was jailed for four years and three months after bringing fuel and aerosol cans to the scene, which were later used by others to feed a fire.

Jamie Jones, 25, from Llanrumney, was sentenced to five years and two months, while Jayden Westcott, 21, from Ely, received the same term. James Chappell, 31, from Barry, was jailed for four years and four months.

Three women, who were all teenagers at the time of the riot, avoided immediate prison sentences.

Lianna Tucker, 20, from Ely, Jasmine Smith, 21, from Heath, and Jumana Fouad, 19, from Ely, were each handed 24-month community orders with rehabilitation requirements.

The court was told that rumours about the crash had spread quickly on the night, fuelling anger in the crowd. What began as a gathering of upset residents developed into hours of violence, with officers pelted with objects including bricks, bottles, tiles and other debris.

Ten defendants were sentenced on Wednesday, and the hearings are continuing, with 30 people due to be sentenced in total.

Lola James killer Kyle Bevan stabbed more than 25 times in high-security jail as notorious inmates found guilty of murder

HAVERFORDWEST child killer Kyle Bevan has been murdered by three of Britain’s most dangerous prisoners in a brutal prison attack that has once again thrust the tragic death of two-year-old Lola James into the national spotlight.

Bevan, 33, was serving a life sentence for murdering Lola at her home in Princess Royal Way, Haverfordwest, when he was ambushed inside his cell at HMP Wakefield.

On Thursday (Jun 18), a jury at Leeds Crown Court found Mark Fellows, 45, Lee Newell, 57, and David Taylor, 63, guilty of murder following a trial that heard how Bevan was stabbed and slashed more than 25 times during a frenzied attack lasting less than five minutes.

The court heard that Bevan suffered catastrophic injuries, including a punctured heart, a severed jugular vein and a slashed aorta. One blow was so powerful that the weapon cut through bone.

After killing him, the three men arranged his body to make it appear that he was asleep in bed. Prison officers did not discover his body until the following morning.

The jury took around two hours to convict all three men.

Remembering Lola

For many people in Pembrokeshire, news of Bevan’s death has reopened memories of one of the county’s most shocking and heartbreaking crimes.

Lola James was just two years old when she died following a sustained and savage assault in July 2020.

During Bevan’s trial, jurors heard that the toddler suffered 101 separate injuries.

Medical experts compared one of the catastrophic head injuries she received to the sort of trauma normally seen in a high-speed road traffic collision involving a child.

The court heard that Bevan repeatedly assaulted the youngster while caring for her at the family home.

Afterwards, he attempted to blame the family dog, claiming Lola had been pushed down a staircase.

A jury rejected his account.

In 2023, Bevan was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was ordered to serve a minimum of 28 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Lola’s mother, Sinead James, was jailed for six years after being convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.

A county left devastated

The Herald’s coverage of Lola’s death generated one of the largest public responses ever seen to a criminal case in Pembrokeshire.

Thousands followed developments through the investigation, trial and sentencing.

At the time, readers expressed profound sadness for Lola and anger that opportunities to protect her had been missed.

Many local residents described the case as one that had shaken the county to its core.

While reaction to Bevan’s death has been mixed, many people have pointed out that the real victim remains Lola herself.

Social media discussions following news of the prison murder have largely focused on remembering the little girl whose life was cut short rather than the man convicted of killing her.

Others have questioned whether Bevan’s death serves any purpose, arguing that it cannot undo the suffering inflicted upon Lola or bring comfort to those who loved her.

Questions over safeguarding failures

Lola’s death led to extensive scrutiny of agencies responsible for protecting vulnerable children.

A subsequent Child Practice Review identified a number of missed opportunities and systemic failings.

The review highlighted concerns over information sharing, risk assessment and the pressures facing frontline services.

The findings prompted calls for improvements across agencies involved in child protection.

For many readers, those concerns remain just as relevant today as they were when the report was first published.

The men who killed Bevan

The three men convicted of Bevan’s murder were already among the most feared prisoners in the country.

Mark Fellows, known as “The Iceman” and “Wakefield Dexter”, was serving a whole-life sentence for two gangland assassinations in the north west of England.

Lee Newell had previously murdered another child killer inside prison.

David Taylor, a convicted armed robber and violent career criminal, was awaiting trial for another murder when he took part in the attack.

The trial heard that Bevan was viewed as a target because of the nature of his crimes.

Like many prisoners convicted of offences against children, he was classed as a vulnerable prisoner and spent much of his time isolated from the wider prison population.

Wakefield under scrutiny again

The killing has renewed questions about conditions inside HMP Wakefield, one of Britain’s most secure prisons.

Known unofficially as “Monster Mansion”, the Category A prison houses some of the country’s most dangerous offenders.

Bevan’s murder came only weeks after another notorious inmate, former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins, was killed in the same prison.

The court heard evidence of tensions between vulnerable prisoners and mainstream inmates, creating what prosecutors described as a distorted hierarchy among offenders.

During the trial, the judge warned jurors not to allow their feelings about Bevan’s crimes to influence their verdicts.

Mrs Justice McGowan said: “Nobody has a right to kill anyone else because they disapprove of what they have done, or because they hate them.

“It is a fairly basic premise in a civilised society.”

Those words may prove uncomfortable for some, given the nature of Bevan’s crimes.

But they underline a principle at the heart of the justice system: that punishment is imposed by the courts, not by fellow prisoners.

For Pembrokeshire, however, the lasting focus remains not on the violent death of Kyle Bevan, but on the loss of a little girl whose murder shocked a community and whose memory continues to resonate across the county.

Frozen healthcare budgets, overcrowded jails, homelessness on release and mounting pressure on staff are undermining rehabilitation across Wales, according to a major parliamentary inquiry

A MAJOR parliamentary inquiry has delivered one of the starkest assessments yet of prisons and rehabilitation services in Wales, warning that overcrowding, staffing shortages and chronic underfunding are putting both prisoners and the public at risk.

The report, Jagged Justice: Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales, was published by the House of Commons Welsh Affairs Committee following an extensive investigation into prisons, probation services and rehabilitation programmes across Wales.

Its conclusions paint a troubling picture of a system struggling to cope with rising demand, increasingly complex prisoner needs and a growing gap between what prisons are expected to achieve and the resources available to them.

MPs found evidence of overcrowded prisons, stretched probation teams, growing mental health needs, difficulties accessing healthcare and too many prisoners being released into homelessness or unstable accommodation.

The committee concluded that unless significant changes are made, the system will continue to struggle to rehabilitate offenders and reduce reoffending, ultimately creating greater costs for society and placing additional pressure on public services.

Healthcare funding frozen for more than a decade

Among the most alarming findings was evidence relating to prison healthcare funding.

The inquiry heard that the Welsh Government received a recurring transfer of approximately £2.5 million for prison healthcare in 2014. However, no additional ring-fenced funding has been provided since then despite more than a decade of inflation and increasing demand for medical services within prisons.

Evidence presented to MPs showed that the annual cost of delivering healthcare in HMP Swansea, HMP Cardiff and HMP Usk and Prescoed has risen to more than £7.25 million.

This has created an estimated funding shortfall of around £4.8 million.

The scale of the problem becomes clear when looking at individual prisons. Healthcare spending at HMP Swansea alone reached almost £2.47 million last year — nearly matching the original annual allocation intended to support healthcare services across all three institutions.

The committee warned that prisoners often arrive with significantly worse physical and mental health than the general population.

Rates of substance misuse, chronic illness, learning difficulties, self-harm and serious mental health conditions are considerably higher among prisoners than among the wider public.

As a result, prisons are increasingly being required to function not only as places of detention but also as healthcare providers, mental health facilities and rehabilitation centres.

Mental health needs continue to rise

Mental health concerns featured heavily throughout the inquiry.

MPs heard evidence that prisons are dealing with increasingly complex cases involving severe mental illness, addiction and trauma, while healthcare teams struggle to meet growing demand.

The report highlights concerns that delays in accessing specialist services and secure psychiatric facilities can leave vulnerable prisoners waiting for treatment.

Healthcare professionals and charities told the committee that many offenders arrive in prison with long-standing untreated conditions, often linked to poverty, addiction, adverse childhood experiences and social exclusion.

The inquiry also heard evidence suggesting communication difficulties are widespread among prisoners, creating further barriers to rehabilitation and increasing the likelihood of disciplinary problems and misunderstandings while in custody.

Experts warned that without adequate mental health support, prisons risk becoming warehouses for vulnerable people rather than institutions capable of helping offenders rebuild their lives.

Overcrowding creating additional pressures

The committee found that prison overcrowding is worsening many of the challenges facing the justice system.

Across England and Wales, prisons have been operating close to capacity for several years, placing additional strain on staff, facilities and support services.

Witnesses told MPs that overcrowding can reduce access to education, training, rehabilitation programmes and healthcare appointments.

The report warns that prison staff are increasingly being asked to manage larger numbers of inmates with more complex needs, often with limited resources and staffing shortages.

This pressure affects not only safety within prisons but also the ability of institutions to prepare offenders for successful reintegration into society.

Released into homelessness

Perhaps one of the most concerning findings relates to what happens after prisoners leave custody.

The committee heard evidence suggesting that around one-third of prisoners are released into homelessness or unstable accommodation.

Without a fixed address, former prisoners often struggle to access benefits, healthcare, employment opportunities and probation support.

For many, the first days after release become a battle to find somewhere to sleep rather than an opportunity to rebuild their lives.

MPs concluded that housing shortages are becoming one of the biggest barriers to successful rehabilitation in Wales.

Witnesses argued that releasing people into homelessness significantly increases the likelihood of reoffending and places additional pressure on local authorities, health services and community organisations.

The report calls for stronger coordination between prisons, probation services, housing providers and local authorities to ensure offenders have a realistic chance of rebuilding their lives after release.

Too much time behind locked doors

The inquiry also raised concerns about the amount of time some prisoners spend confined to their cells.

Evidence submitted to the committee suggested some inmates receive as little as 45 minutes out of their cells each day.

Such restrictions limit opportunities for work, education, exercise and rehabilitation programmes.

Experts told MPs that meaningful rehabilitation requires purposeful activity, skills training and regular human interaction.

Without these opportunities, prisons risk becoming little more than places of containment rather than institutions capable of reducing future offending.

The committee warned that excessive confinement can also worsen mental health problems and increase tensions within prisons.

Wales’ high imprisonment rate under scrutiny

The report also questions why Wales continues to record one of the highest imprisonment rates in Western Europe.

MPs have called for further work to understand why Welsh communities appear to be disproportionately affected by incarceration.

The issue has renewed debate over whether criminal justice powers should eventually be devolved to Wales.

Supporters argue that many services linked to rehabilitation — including healthcare, housing and education — are already devolved, while responsibility for sentencing and prison policy remains with Westminster.

The committee described this split responsibility as creating a “jagged edge” between devolved and non-devolved services, making effective planning and accountability more difficult.

Parc Prison remains in the spotlight

Although the inquiry examined prisons across Wales, concerns surrounding HMP Parc continue to cast a long shadow over discussions about prison safety and rehabilitation.

The Bridgend prison came under intense scrutiny following an unprecedented number of prisoner deaths in 2024.

Questions have also been raised about drug use, violence, self-harm, staffing levels and access to healthcare services.

The Welsh Affairs Committee has previously expressed concern about conditions at Parc and urged caution over proposals to expand the prison until safety concerns are fully addressed.

For communities across Wales, including Pembrokeshire, the issues identified in the report will be familiar.

Many offenders passing through the prison system originate from communities already facing challenges linked to poverty, addiction, mental illness and housing shortages.

A warning for governments

The Welsh Affairs Committee stops short of blaming any single organisation for the current situation.

Instead, MPs argue that years of rising demand, workforce pressures and fragmented responsibilities have combined to create a system struggling to cope.

Their warning is straightforward.

If prisons are expected to rehabilitate offenders, reduce reoffending and protect the public, they need adequate healthcare, housing support, staffing and rehabilitation services.

Without those foundations, the report suggests Wales risks trapping thousands of people in a cycle of imprisonment, release and reoffending that serves neither offenders nor society.

Ten years after many of these challenges first began attracting serious attention, MPs are warning that the cost of inaction is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

The question now facing governments in Cardiff Bay and Westminster is whether they are prepared to invest in the changes needed — or whether the problems identified in Jagged Justice will continue to deepen in the years ahead.