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.

A DRINK-driver was seen running a red light, swerving between lanes and narrowly missing another vehicle while being followed by police, a court has heard.

Reuben Kirkman, aged 26, was stopped by officers after being seen driving a Vauxhall Corsa along Iscoed Road, Hendy, on the night of June 21, 2025.

“He was stopped by officers as a result of his standard of driving,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told District Judge Mark Layton, sitting at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

“He had a near miss with another vehicle, he had no lights on, he drove through a red light and he was seen swerving between lanes.”

Subsequent blood tests showed Kirkman had 147 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

His solicitor, Peter Harper, told the court the offence occurred after Kirkman had spent the day with his football team.

“They ended up in the pub and he consumed some alcohol,” he said. “He planned to leave his vehicle there but failed to find a taxi.

“So he sat in his car for around 30 minutes, drank some water and made the stupid mistake of driving home.”

The court was told Kirkman, of Castle Buildings, Castle Street, Swansea, is a sport science and nutritional science graduate and is currently employed in food supply at Wetherspoons.

After pleading guilty to drink-driving, Kirkman was disqualified from driving for 17 months and fined £430. He was also ordered to pay a £172 court surcharge and £85 in costs.

A PEMBROKE DOCK woman has been fined after hurling drunken abuse at shoppers when she entered a town centre store in a highly intoxicated state, a court has heard.

Karen Rees, aged 52, entered a store in Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, just after 10.00am on January 6.

“She was heavily intoxicated, shouting and swearing and pushing cans off the counter,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told District Judge Mark Layton, sitting at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

“But she was also having difficulty getting her words out as a result of the level of her intoxication.”

Rees, of Kavanagh Court, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

She was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £32 surcharge.