Women jailed after man chased through Milford home and attacked with knives

Published

2 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

Kelly Rees receives further 27-month sentence while already serving prison term for notorious taxi robbery

TWO women have been jailed after chasing a man through a Milford Haven home before inflicting deep wounds with knives.

Demi Oliver, aged 26, and Kelly Rees, aged 36, appeared before Swansea Crown Court for sentence following the serious attack on Warren Harper at a property in Precelly Place.

***Was already in jail for taxi robbery, but given extended sentence, Kelly Rees***

The women had originally been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, an offence under Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

During an earlier hearing at Swansea Crown Court, both defendants denied the more serious charge but pleaded guilty to the lesser alternative offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Oliver was sentenced to 17 months’ imprisonment, while Rees received a further 27-month prison term in addition to the sentence she is already serving for a separate knife-point taxi robbery.

The court heard that Oliver and Rees had been drinking at Rees’s home in Precelly Place on July 28, 2024, when Harper joined them at the property.

Mr Ibrahim, representing Rees, said she had also been smoking crack cocaine before an altercation developed.

Both women began chasing Harper through the house, eventually forcing him to lock himself inside the downstairs bathroom.

The court heard that Harper remained behind the locked door before eventually saying: “This stops.”

When he came out, he was confronted by Oliver and Rees, who were both armed with knives.

Rees produced what was described in court as a Stanley knife and slashed Harper’s left wrist, causing an extremely deep and damaging wound.

Oliver then approached him carrying a black-handled knife and inflicted a deep laceration to his left shoulder.

Harper later told police that he felt “a deep sharp pain” during the attack.

In a desperate attempt to escape the women, he ran upstairs and entered another bathroom.

He considered jumping from the bathroom window but realised that the drop was too high.

Harper eventually managed to get downstairs and escape from the property through the front door.

Harrowing Ring doorbell footage shown to the court captured him fleeing the house covered in blood.

He ran to a friend’s home, where he was described as sweating, shaking and covered in blood.

An ambulance was called and Harper was taken to Withybush Hospital.

He required surgery to repair damage to his muscles and tendons caused by the wounds.

After seeing photographs of the injuries, Judge Huw Rees intervened to emphasise their seriousness.

“These are not just slash marks,” he said.

“These are very deep cuts, of which I can see his muscle.”

***Prescelly Place, Milford Haven, where the incidence took place in 2024***

Oliver had no previous convictions

Mr Singh, representing Oliver, told the court that his client deeply regretted her actions.

He said Oliver had no previous convictions and drew attention to the fact that she had been supported in court by the two grandparents who had raised her.

Oliver, of Precelly Place, had been released on bail following the earlier plea hearing while pre-sentence reports were prepared.

The judge concluded that the seriousness of the violence meant an immediate custodial sentence was necessary.

She was sentenced to 17 months in prison, with the sentence beginning immediately.

Rees described as “seasoned offender”

Rees, who was already being held at HMP Downview, was treated differently because of her extensive record of previous offending.

Addressing her directly, Judge Rees said: “You are a seasoned offender.”

The judge noted that she was already serving a prison sentence for the notorious robbery of a Milford Haven taxi driver.

That attack took place on October 18, 2024, less than three months after the assault on Harper.

Rees and fellow defendant Ashlee Rees targeted the driver after he collected them in Milford Haven.

During the robbery, the driver was threatened with a knife and attacked with a needle before a bag containing his takings was stolen.

The driver was left fearing that he may have contracted an infection and was required to undergo blood tests following the attack.

He also suffered recurring nightmares and anxiety as a result of the ordeal.

The case attracted widespread attention in Milford Haven, with members of the community later raising money to support the driver.

Kelly Rees had admitted robbery but denied using the needle. She was convicted of that element of the offence following a trial and was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

For the attack on Harper, Rees received a further sentence of 27 months’ imprisonment, to be served in addition to the sentence she is already serving.

Pembroke woman fined after two pub assaults on same evening

Published

36 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

Court Reporter

CCTV showed victim pulled to the floor by her hair at two separate venues

A PEMBROKE woman has been ordered to pay compensation after assaulting another woman in two pubs on the same evening.

Haverfordwest magistrates were shown CCTV footage of Carina Haines being pulled to the floor by her hair and struck repeatedly by Sheryl McNamara.

The first assault took place in the women’s toilets at the Old Cross Saws Inn, Pembroke, on December 28, 2025.

Footage showed McNamara, 48, leaving a toilet cubicle and becoming involved in a heated argument with Ms Haines.

“In both instances, the victim accepts she had been drinking a large quantity of alcohol since lunchtime, with the result that her recollection of events is very limited,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told the court.

Both women were seen pointing at each other, although neither could remember what had caused the argument.

Ms Haines then briefly touched McNamara on the arm, after which McNamara grabbed her by the hair, pulled her to the floor and struck her repeatedly.

“During the incident, the defendant’s black handbag came over her neck and moved towards the victim,” Ms James said.

“As McNamara was escorted out, she did not have her handbag, but the victim’s partner was seen holding it.”

Later that evening, Ms Haines was sitting with friends at the Castle Inn, Pembroke, when McNamara entered the pub and immediately approached her.

CCTV showed McNamara grabbing Ms Haines by the back of her hair and pulling her from her chair to the floor.

Ms Haines later attended the accident and emergency department at Withybush Hospital, where bruising was found on her back. Medical staff also identified a possible rib fracture.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Haines said the assaults had affected her studies and left her fearful of encountering McNamara.

“This came at a time when I was completing university work, and I found it very hard to concentrate,” she said.

“I began isolating myself through fear of seeing Sheryl McNamara. I stopped going to the local pub and I didn’t take my dog for a walk in the evenings in case I saw her.

“I even saw her drive past my house a few times, and I felt she was doing this on purpose.”

McNamara, of Elm Grove, Pembroke, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by beating.

Defending, solicitor Tom Lloyd said the circumstances leading to the first assault should be taken into account.

“Were it not for the behaviour of the complainant, Sheryl McNamara would not be in court today,” he said.

“This is a woman who has never been before the courts, who has raised a family and who is an outstanding member of the community.

“While she accepts responsibility and is profoundly embarrassed to be here, the complainant was waiting outside the cubicle for a significant period before beginning to remonstrate with her.

“She touched the defendant briefly on two occasions, and then pushed her twice.

“The defendant was taunted, touched and pushed before the criminal element came into play. Naturally, there is then the question of self-defence, because up until that point she was minding her own business.”

Magistrates fined McNamara £693 and ordered her to pay £500 compensation to Ms Haines.

She must also pay a £277 victim surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.

Crime

Haverfordwest man fined after missing drugs assessment

Published

40 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Jacob Payne failed to attend an initial assessment after testing positive for a Class A drug

A 28-YEAR-OLD Haverfordwest man has been fined after failing to attend an initial drugs assessment.

Jacob Payne was arrested on April 2 after testing positive for a Class A drug and was required to attend an assessment at a police station.

His failure to attend resulted in the case being brought before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Payne, of Back Lane, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to failing to attend the assessment.

He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £385 court costs and a £32 surcharge.

Crime

Fishguard farm worker banned after drink-driving through Haverfordwest

Published

41 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Police found Gareth Cotton almost twice the legal alcohol limit and carrying cannabis

A FISHGUARD farm worker has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel in Haverfordwest while almost twice the legal alcohol limit.

Gareth Cotton, 33, of Plas y Fron, Fishguard, was stopped by police at around midnight on July 6 as he drove his van along Pope Hill.

“The officers could smell intoxicants and the defendant was slurring his words and was unsteady on his feet,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Cotton later admitted that he had consumed several alcoholic drinks earlier that evening.

A breathalyser test showed that he had 61 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

During a search, officers also found 1.2 grams of cannabis in his possession, with an estimated street value of £12.

Cotton, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without third-party insurance and possessing cannabis, a Class B controlled drug.

Defence solicitor Jess Hill told magistrates that Cotton had been driving to buy food when he was stopped.

“He now realises this was a big mistake,” she said.

Magistrates disqualified Cotton from driving for 17 months and fined him £276.

He was also ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £140 court surcharge.