Jury convicts Pendine man after court hears he raped intoxicated teenager in caravan during family holiday

A MAN who raped a teenage girl in a caravan while she was on holiday with her family in west Wales has been jailed for ten years.

Leon Kidner, aged 34, attacked the 15-year-old at a caravan site in Pendine, Carmarthenshire, after giving her cannabis while knowing she had also consumed alcohol.

Swansea Crown Court heard that in the early hours of the morning Kidner sexually assaulted the girl before raping her inside the caravan.

Prosecutor Christopher Rees KC told the court that the victim was in an intoxicated state at the time of the attack.

A forensic examination later confirmed that Kidner had ejaculated inside the victim.

After the attack was reported to police, Kidner claimed during interview that the girl had initiated the sexual activity and that it had been consensual.

He repeated that account during the trial, but a jury rejected his version of events. He was convicted of two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of rape.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said the rape had left her feeling “violated” and “like something was taken away from me”.

She said she now struggles to sleep and suffers from nightmares, and that her schoolwork has suffered as a result of what happened.

The girl said she had found it difficult to talk to anyone about the attack because “nobody truly understands what I have been through”.

She added: “I feel hollow and unstable. Every day feels like a struggle to feel normal again.”

The victim said the assault in the caravan had affected every part of her life, including her relationships, her education, her wellbeing and how she sees herself.

Kidner, of Castell Toch Caravan Park, Pendine, has 34 previous convictions for 71 offences including violence and robbery, although none were sexual offences.

His barrister, Lowri Wyn Morgan, told the court that her client was “deeply sorry” for the pain and suffering he had caused. She said that during childhood he had been “passed between family members”, had left school at 14, and that drink and drugs had affected much of his adult life.

The court heard that Kidner now accepts his guilt and described what happened in Pendine as “one huge huge mistake”. Judge Geraint Walters told the defendant that the “wickedness” of this type of offending was that it “leaves a life-long scar” on victims, and leaves them feeling violated. Kidner was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to manage his access to girls.

Speaking after sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Katie Rees of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the victim in this case who showed profound courage from the very outset of the investigation, despite her young age.

“The victim showed immense strength, character and resilience and should be proud of how she has conducted herself throughout the investigation. It is thanks to her bravery that Leon Kidner will now spend a significant period in prison.

“I welcome the sentence passed today, which highlights the seriousness of the offences. While it cannot undo the harm caused, it will hopefully provide the victim with a degree of closure.”

POLICE are appealing for information following a burglary at a convenience store in Milford Haven in the early hours of Monday (Feb 24).

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called just after 1:10am to a report of a break-in at the One Stop shop on Charles Street.

A number of items, including tobacco products and cigarettes, were stolen during the incident.

Two men, aged 39 and 46, have been arrested on suspicion of burglary and remain in police custody while enquiries continue.

Officers are now appealing for witnesses or anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time, or who may have relevant information, is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online at:
https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us-beta/contact-us/

Information can also be provided by emailing [email protected] or by calling 101.

Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.

Quote reference: DP-20260224-019.

Ex-partner called 999 on Christmas Day before police found defendant hiding near bin store

A MAN who ignored a restraining order protecting his former partner was jailed after being found hiding at a Pembrokeshire glamping site following a Christmas Day 999 call.

Darren Sudbury’s ex-partner had been granted a restraining order in 2024 after he was convicted of assaulting her.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Dyfed-Powys Police were alerted after the woman phoned the ambulance service at around 5:30pm on Christmas Day, claiming Sudbury had attacked her.

The pair, both from the Manchester area, had travelled to west Wales and were staying at a glamping site near Tenby for the festive period. Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini told the court the couple had previously been in what she described as an “on-off relationship”.

Officers located Sudbury the following morning at around 9:15am after spotting him “peering out” from a bin storage area at the site.

When he was arrested, police found a bag of cocaine in his jacket pocket. Two additional bags of the Class A drug were recovered after Sudbury discarded them behind him.

The 37-year-old, of Southgate Road, Chadderton, Oldham, admitted harassment by breaching a restraining order and possession of a Class A drug.

The court was told Sudbury has a lengthy criminal record, with 20 previous convictions for 54 offences. These include assault occasioning actual bodily harm against the same former partner in 2024 and a previous breach of the restraining order imposed for her protection.

He also has a history of failing to comply with court orders.

Defending, David Singh said his client accepted responsibility and had entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Singh told the court Sudbury had spent time in custody where he had completed a number of drug rehabilitation programmes.

“He has been drug-free during that period,” he said.

Recorder Simon Stephenson told the defendant that court orders must always be followed.

“It doesn’t matter whether your ex-partner is willing to see you,” he said. “Court orders must be obeyed.”

Sudbury was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment. The judge also ordered that a community order he is currently serving will continue.

Sudbury had denied a further charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. However, prosecutors offered no evidence on that count after the complainant did not engage with the Crown Prosecution Service, and a not guilty verdict was entered.