A MAN from Newport has been jailed for eleven years after being convicted of raping a woman who was asleep and physically vulnerable.

Yogesh Parmar, aged 35, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Feb 23) following a trial in which jurors heard harrowing details of the abuse suffered by the victim.

Sentencing, Her Honour Judge Catherine Richards said the complainant had been “particularly vulnerable” at the time of the attack because of her small physical stature and the fact she was asleep when the rape occurred.

The court heard Parmar placed heavy gym weights against the bedroom door to prevent the woman from leaving the room.

In her personal statement, the victim said that when she told Parmar his behaviour was harming her, he responded by telling her to “get used to it”.

It was also heard that he dismissed her distress by describing her as “hormonal” when she reacted to his pattern of abuse. The victim told the court she regarded Parmar as “a predator”.

In mitigation, defence counsel argued the complainant had “woken to him effectively having intercourse”.

Alongside the eleven-year custodial sentence for rape, Parmar was handed a 20-year restraining order. He also received a two-year concurrent sentence on a separate count of controlling and coercive behaviour.

Judge Richards told the defendant the offences represented a grave breach of trust and had caused lasting harm to the victim.

Parmar will serve his sentence in custody before being subject to restrictions upon release.

A NEYLAND pensioner who continued to play loud music despite numerous warnings has been fined after being convicted of breaching a Community Protection Notice.

Complaints had been made about Beryl John, of Gothic Road, with neighbours reporting persistent noise nuisance. Pembrokeshire County Council officers gathered evidence using the NoiseApp system, which demonstrated that the noise was causing a detriment to nearby residents. This led to a Community Protection Warning (CPW) being issued.

However, the behaviour continued. The council said John also behaved abusively towards council officers and Dyfed-Powys Police, resulting in the warning being escalated to a formal Community Protection Notice (CPN).

Despite the notice, John failed to comply, and the council brought proceedings before the court.

John did not attend Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Feb 5) and was convicted in her absence.

Magistrates imposed a £1,000 fine, along with a £400 victim surcharge and £1,000 prosecution costs.

The court heard that if the anti-social behaviour continues, the council may return to court to seek a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), breaches of which can result in community penalties or even imprisonment.

Cllr Jacob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, said: “The council works with partners such as Dyfed-Powys Police and housing associations to tackle anti-social behaviour like this, which so greatly affects the quality of residents’ lives.

“As with all cases of this nature, it is a shame that things had to come before the court, but the defendant had many opportunities to avoid matters escalating simply by improving their conduct, and hopefully that will now happen.”

Trial date set for July following Crown Court appearance

A MERLINS BRIDGE man has denied six charges of sexually assaulting children following a hearing at Swansea Crown Court.

Dion Lewtas, aged 29, of St Marks Close, appeared before the court on Monday (Feb 23), where he pleaded not guilty to six offences of sexual assault of girls aged under thirteen.

The charges relate to alleged incidents in Milford Haven between August 2021 and August 2023.

The girls were aged between nine and eleven years old, the prosecution alleges.

Lewtas had previously appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on January 20, when the case was sent to Swansea Crown Court.

He was released on bail. A trial date has been set for July 17.