Crime

Schoolgirl who stabbed teachers had been considered for Prevent referral

Published

3 months ago

August 27, 2025

Review finds agencies failed to share Adolf Hitler concerns before knife attack at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman

A SCHOOLGIRL who stabbed two teachers and a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Carmarthenshire had previously been considered for referral to the Government’s Prevent programme, according to a serious case review published this week.

The report found that the 13-year-old, known as Child A, displayed an unusual fascination with Adolf Hitler, war memorabilia and weapons. She also claimed to speak German and Russian and was described by professionals as “quirky” and “not quite fitting in.”

Two years before the attack, concerns about her behaviour were known to several agencies, but information was not effectively shared between them.

Knife incidents before attack

The girl had previously brought a ball-bearing gun to a different school and was later suspended at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman after a knife was discovered in her bag. At one stage she also threatened to use a knife against another pupil.

Following these incidents, a referral to Prevent was discussed by agencies but not pursued. Instead, an “early help” assessment was recommended to understand her needs. The review records that her father declined this support, saying he believed professionals did not understand his daughter.

As part of a safety plan after her suspension, he agreed to check her school bag each morning. However, on the day of the attack she left home early, before the bag check could be done.

April 2024 stabbing

On 24 April 2024, the girl smuggled her father’s multi-tool into school. She stabbed assistant headteacher Fiona Elias and additional needs teacher Liz Hopkin, as well as a pupil, before being restrained.

During her arrest she told officers: “That’s one way to be a celebrity. I’m pretty sure this is going to be on the news, so more eyes will be looking at me.”

She was convicted at Swansea Crown Court of three counts of attempted murder and in April this year was sentenced to 15 years’ detention.

Missed opportunities

The review, commissioned by Carmarthenshire County Council and the Mid and West Wales Safeguarding Board, concluded that while there were clear concerns about her state of mind, no agency could have predicted the scale of violence she went on to commit.

Report author Gladys Rhodes White wrote: “Each agency had their own pieces of the jigsaw. When collated, there is a much clearer picture of the concerns around Child A’s behaviour. However, no information held at the time could have foreseen the shocking events which unfolded.”

She also said the case highlighted a gap in provision for children who do not meet Prevent thresholds but nonetheless pose risks, particularly when families decline voluntary help.

The review added that pupils at the school were aware she had a knife on the day of the attack but did not tell staff.

Father’s criticism

Child A’s father told the review he felt services had “let her down” and said he had sought help for her emotional and behavioural problems without success. He added that he had been consistent in carrying out bag checks but regretted not being able to do so on the morning of the attack.

He said: “Agencies didn’t listen to me or my child when we needed help.”

Recommendations

The report calls for stronger information-sharing between schools, health, police and safeguarding services, especially when a child transfers between schools, and greater consideration of how to support children whose behaviours raise concerns but who do not fall under statutory schemes.

In a joint statement, Carmarthenshire County Council, Dyfed-Powys Police, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Ysgol Dyffryn Aman said: “We acknowledge the difficult circumstances faced by the victims and the school community. We pay tribute to the pupils, staff and parents whose resilience has enabled learning to continue in a safe and supportive environment.”

Crime

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

Published

3 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

3 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

8 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.