Crime

Two from Wales charged in major funeral fraud and ashes-mishandling scandal

Published

2 weeks ago

November 20, 2025

TWO people from north Wales are among three suspects charged as part of a major cross-border criminal investigation into alleged fraud and the mishandling of cremated remains at a scandal-hit undertakers in Scotland.

Police Scotland confirmed that officers working on Operation Koine – a long-running inquiry into A. Milne Independent Funeral Directors in Glasgow and Dumbarton – carried out coordinated raids yesterday (Nov 19), including one in Flint, north Wales. The investigation was launched last year after families reported missing ashes, being given the wrong remains, and concerns over prepaid funeral plan payments.

A 58-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were rearrested at the Flint address with the support of North Wales Police. A second 58-year-old woman was arrested on the same day in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire. All three have now been charged and will be reported to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Unprecedented investigation

Detective Superintendent Robert Bowie, who is leading the inquiry for Police Scotland, described Operation Koine as “unprecedented”, both in scale and in the sensitivity required when dealing with families who believed their loved ones’ remains had been mishandled.

“For more than a year we have worked meticulously through every line of enquiry,” he said. “I’d like to thank everyone who has come forward with information and the public for their continued support. This investigation is significant, and our dedicated team continues to work closely with partner agencies to ensure victims receive the right support.”

Specialist officers have already spoken to more than 200 witnesses, with teams from Police Scotland’s financial investigation unit scrutinising bank records and funeral plan documents for evidence of fraud. Earlier searches at the company’s premises in Springburn lasted 11 days, during which 19 urns were recovered.

By September, investigators had identified around 70 funerals where arrangements had been affected. Police believe the number of families impacted could still rise.

Wales link

Officers confirmed the arrests in Flint were part of a coordinated effort to trace all individuals connected to the business’s operations and financial affairs. The case has prompted strong interest in north Wales, where families have historically used funeral firms across the border.

Police Scotland said it had “engaged with other forces across the UK to identify and implement best practice”, acknowledging the highly sensitive nature of the allegations.

A further support session for affected families will take place on Friday, December 5, for people already in contact with officers.

Families left without answers

Some families affected by the scandal have described the emotional toll of discovering their relatives’ ashes may have been mishandled.

Klair Sloss, who arranged her uncle’s funeral through A. Milne last year, said the scale of the probe suggests “closure may be impossible for some people”.

“To hear there are so many victims isn’t a surprise, but it does make me sad,” she said. “The only thing that will help families now is justice, and I hope the legal process doesn’t drag on.”

Another family, from Glasgow, previously told how they had scattered what they believed were a loved one’s ashes, only to later be informed the remains belonged to someone else.

Appeal for information

Detective Superintendent Bowie urged anyone with concerns about cremated remains or prepaid funeral plans linked to A. Milne to contact officers.

“The vast majority of ashes have now been reunited with families,” he said, “but we remain keen to hear from anyone who believes they may have been affected.”

Police Scotland said further updates will follow “in due course” as the case progresses toward the Procurator Fiscal.

Crime

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

Published

19 minutes 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

47 minutes 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

5 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.