Crime
Five officers dismissed after Parc Prison text scandal
FIVE officers at Parc Prison in Bridgend have been sacked following a misconduct investigation into disturbing text messages shared between staff — action that follows sustained pressure from this newspaper, campaigners at UK Prisons For Justice, and others exposing conditions at the jail.
The case began last October when four officers were arrested after South Wales Police and the prison service launched an inquiry into social media messages that appeared to boast about using excessive force on inmates. Over the following months a further four officers were arrested.
Police have now confirmed that all eight officers were released without charge after advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. However, G4S – the private company that runs the jail – said disciplinary proceedings have led to five dismissals, two resignations, and one officer receiving a final written warning.
Some of the leaked messages, published earlier this year, showed prison staff making jokes about suicide and gloating about violence towards inmates. One officer claimed: “I punched [him] after he bit me… he threw his food tray in someone’s face so I dropped him.” Another message read: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.”
The revelations drew fierce criticism from politicians. Ruth Jones MP, chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, condemned what she called “derogatory, offensive and abusive” use of social media by staff.
South Wales Police said a specialist team had examined all of the communications and misconduct claims. Detective Chief Inspector Dean Taylor said the approach demonstrated the force’s “commitment to accountability and integrity,” adding that police and G4S were working together to ensure such behaviour would not be tolerated at Parc.

A troubled jail
Parc Prison is the nearest long-term jail to Pembrokeshire and holds many inmates from our county. The Pembrokeshire Herald has been following developments at the prison closely for almost two years, including the imprisonment and hoped-for release of prison campaigner Zack Griffiths. In June 2024 we were the only paper to report live as a riot broke out inside the prison, and we were first to reveal the arrests of officers as part of our ongoing investigations.
Earlier this year a damning inspection report found that standards at Parc had “declined significantly” since G4S secured a new 10-year contract. Inspectors highlighted an “alarming” flow of drugs, windows that could be opened from inside cells, and a record 17 inmate deaths in 2024, five of which were drug-related.

Responding to criticism, G4S said it had a “zero-tolerance approach” to staff behaviour that fell short of expected standards and that “considerable work” had been carried out to address concerns at the prison.
The company added: “We are determined to ensure the men in our care are safe, supported, and can feel optimistic about their futures, and we are working tirelessly on a comprehensive improvement plan at HMP Parc.”
Crime
Two arrested after high-value shoplifting incident in Kilgetty
TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting following a rapid police response to a reported high-value theft at a supermarket in Kilgetty.
Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to the Co-op store at around 3.35pm on Wednesday (Jan 28), after a report that a large quantity of alcohol and other items had been stolen.
Using information provided by the caller, Roads Policing Unit officers worked closely with control room staff to identify a vehicle believed to be involved. Several patrol cars were deployed, and the vehicle was located a short time later travelling east.
Police said the safety of all those involved was treated as a priority, with specialist Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) advice obtained while officers maintained constant observation of the vehicle.
The car was brought to a safe stop on a back road approaching Hendy, involving three Roads Policing Unit vehicles. No injuries or damage were reported.
Following roadside checks, two men — aged 67 and 46 — were arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop.
Both remain in police custody while enquiries continue.
Police said the swift response helped prevent further offending and demonstrated the effectiveness of specialist roads policing officers acting on real-time intelligence.
Business
Eight-year prison sentence after vehicle stop uncovers drugs worth over £150,000
A ROUTINE vehicle stop by roads policing officers has led to an eight-year prison sentence after more than £150,000 worth of illegal drugs were discovered in a car in Pembrokeshire.
On Friday, January 2, officers from the Roads Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Hoyland Road, Pembroke. The vehicle was being driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.
During the stop, Evans told officers they would find “stuff” in the car. He and the vehicle were subsequently searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
A search of the boot uncovered a cardboard box containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine and ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be well in excess of £150,000.
Evans was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. He was later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs.
The 43-year-old pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, January 3.
On Thursday, January 28, Evans was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.
DC Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tackling the supply of illegal drugs is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police, and the misery that illegal drugs bring to local communities will not be tolerated.
“We welcome the sentence passed to Dean Evans, given the large quantity of harmful drugs he was caught trafficking into Pembrokeshire.
“This sentence should serve as a stark warning to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal drugs trade in Dyfed and Powys.”
Crime
Former soldier jailed for stalking police officer over past arrest
Defendant tracked down officer’s home address and sent threatening messages
A FORMER serviceman has been sent to prison after tracking down and harassing a police officer who had arrested him two years earlier.
Gareth Nicholas, aged 41, from Waunarlwydd in Swansea, targeted the officer by discovering his home address and sending a threatening message via Facebook, Swansea Crown Court heard.
The officer had been part of a police team that executed a Scottish arrest warrant at Nicholas’s home in May 2023. Two years later, in August 2025, the officer received an unexpected friend request on social media, followed shortly afterwards by a message that immediately caused concern.
The message began with the words “I found you” and accused the officer of unlawfully entering Nicholas’s property, assaulting him while he was in his underwear, and “abducting” him. Nicholas also claimed he had identified a pattern of corrupt behaviour within the police and issued a veiled threat, stating: “I will catch you down the Liberty son. Look forward to it,” a reference to Swansea City’s former stadium.
The situation escalated further days later when a handwritten letter was delivered to the officer’s former address. The new occupant contacted the officer to alert him to the letter, which repeated allegations of corruption and suggested the matter could be dropped if the officer assisted in exposing alleged police misconduct.
Nicholas was arrested on September 3 and admitted sending the communications, but denied at the time that his actions amounted to stalking.
In evidence, the officer told the court that while he had faced verbal abuse during his policing career, this incident felt different and deeply personal. He said his family installed CCTV cameras, security lighting and fencing, and put safety plans in place for their children. He added that he feared Nicholas had not let go of his perceived injustice and remained concerned the behaviour could continue.
The court heard Nicholas has a substantial criminal record in Scotland between 2019 and 2024, including convictions for stalking, malicious communications, threatening behaviour, domestic abuse offences and possession of ammunition without a licence.
Sentencing Nicholas, Judge Huw Rees acknowledged the trauma the defendant had experienced during military service, but warned him not to repeat the behaviour.
Nicholas, who appeared unrepresented, pleaded guilty to stalking and was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, reduced by 20 per cent for his early guilty plea. Having already served time on remand, his release is expected shortly. He was also made subject to a five-year restraining order banning any contact with the officer.
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