News

[UPDATED] Natasha Bradbury killed in a ‘savage attack’

Published

9 years ago

August 31, 2016

Natasha Bradbury

JEALOUS and possessive Luke Jones “literally” beat Natasha Bradbury to death in her own home just hours after she confessed to sleeping with another man, a jury heard today.

Jones, aged 33, then waited until her body was “freezing cold” before calling for an ambulance to her flat in High Street, Haverfordwest.

Then, said Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting, he made up a story about her smashing up her own home in Imperial Court and falling over.

Jones, of Haven Drive, Milford Haven, denies murdering Miss Bradbury in the early hours of February 22 and is on trial at Swansea Crown Court.

Mr Lewis said Jones and Miss Bradbury, 27, had been in an “on off” relationship for three years.

In the days leading up to her death the relationship was under strain, he said, and text messages between them showed Jones was suffering emotionally.

Mr Lewis read to the jury dozens of messages that were “clearly personal and sent in the belief that no-one else would ever see them.”

“This is not like Facebook,” he added. “They are private messages between two people in a relationship.”

But they illustrated, alleged Mr Lewis, a man feeling jealous and possessive and willing to put emotional pressure on Miss Bradbury to keep their relationship going.

“It is for you (the jury) to assess. But we say that at times he expresses love, at others distress.”

On February 19 Jones, a pipe welder, told his supervisor he was unwell and made an emergency appointment with his doctor.

Jones told him he had “anger problems” and complained of losing his temper too easily and was referred to an anger management course.

“You might want to bear that in mind when considering the events that followed,“ Mr Lewis told the jury

Miss Bradbury spent the night of February 20 at the home of her friend Rhiannon Watts at Priory Road, Milford Haven, and Jones tried 26 times to contact her by telephone, including 13 attempts between 4am and 5am on the 21st.

Jones, said Mr Lewis, had already sent Miss Bradbury a text message reading, “I’m told you are seeing someone else.”

Mr Lewis said Miss Watts and Miss Bradbury had been joined that night by two brothers, Daniel and Darryl McGuckin. Miss Watts was in a relationship with Daniel and Miss Bradbury slept with his brother, Darryl.

The following morning, said Mr Lewis, Miss Watts told Jones what had happened and Miss Bradbury also contacted him to say, “Look, I’m sorry. I slept with someone last night.”

The following day Jones sent messages to friends, one of which read: “I can’t believe she’s done that. My Head’s in the shed but I’m passed caring. I loved her and gave her everything but what do I get.”

Jones later drove to Miss Bradbury’s home and between 8pm and 10pm she sent “sexual and flirtatious” messages with Darryl McGuckin.

“That takes us to ten pm,” said Mr Lewis. “What then?”

NEIGHBOURS HEARD LOUD NOISES

Neighbours of Natasha Bradbury listened to more than two hours of “shouting, swearing and the noise of a flat being smashed up” the night she was allegedly beaten to death by her on-off boyfriend.

But they only ever heard the voice of a man, said Paul Lewis QC.

That man, it is alleged, was Luke George Jones

Mr Lewis said Lisa Smith, who also had a flat in Imperial Court, High Street, Haverfordwest, heard the noises from between 11.30pm and about 2am and thought Flat A, where Miss Bradbury lived, was being smashed up.

Another neighbour, Timothy Down, became so concerned he thought about calling the police but decided “not to get involved.”

“He could hear swearing and shouting. But he heard only a man’s voice,” added Mr Lewis.

The prosecution argue that Jones was in the process of beating Miss Bradbury to death, or had already done so.

Because at 2.48am Jones told a 999 operator that Miss Bradbury was already “freezing cold and her lips are blue.”

Mr Lewis played to the jury a recording of the 15 minute telephone call, which ended when a paramedic took the telephone from Jones and told the operator, “We could do with the police.”

It took Jones at least twelve attempts to explain to ambulance control where he was.

The operator instructed Jones on how to try and resuscitate Miss Bradbury by placing one hand on top of the other on her breast bone and pumping hard.

The operator could be heard telling Jones, “Pump hard. One, two, three, four. Again, one, two, three, four.”

The operator was interrupted by an ambulance crew who had arrived in Imperial Court but could not find “Flat A,” which was, in fact, a four storey high building.”

Then, a voice could be heard asking Jones, “How long has she been lying there.”

Jones replied, “For about an hour.”

The paramedic took the ‘phone from Jones and asked, “Is that ambulance control”

The operator told him that ambulance control had gone off the line.

Paramedic:“We could do with the police here.”

Operator:“Do you want me to put you through?”

Paramedic, “No, we are dealing with a patient.”

JONES REFUSED TO ANSWER POLICE QUESTIONS

Luke Jones refused to answer questions from police investigating the “murder” of Natasha Bradbury at her flat in the centre of Haverfordwest.

And the prepared, written statements he later handed over were dismissed today as “nothing more than a pack of lies intended to avoid the consequences of what he had done to her.”

Paul Lewis QC told the jury that Jones “largely” answered none of the questions put to him by police.

But he later provided a number of prepared statements.

“He said he used no violence at all towards her and that she had suffered the injuries as a result of falling over,” added Mr Lewis.

“In essence, he appeared to be saying that her extensive injuries were accidental.

“If he maintains that account it will be for you to decide how it was she suffered the injuries that resulted in her death,” he told the jury.

“You will consider his intentions and his state of mind.”

Mr Lewis said the truth was that Jones had inflicted on Miss Bradbury a savage attack that had caused widespread and fatal injuries.

Miss Bradbury suffered extensive, blunt force injuries to her head, face and body. She suffered fractures to her neck and a wrist and there was evidence of injury to her brain.

Her heart had been bruised and there had been bleeding in the sack containing the heart.

There was also an “extensive” laceration to her liver that had led to massive bleeding into her stomach area.

“In a nutshell, he beat her to death in her own home,” added Mr Lewis.

NATASHA’S BLOOD STAINED FLAT

The jury was provided with a pictorial walk through of the blood stained flat where Natasha Bradbury met her death.

The prosecution say she died after a savage attack by her on-off boyfriend, pipe welder Luke Jones.

Despite the address, said Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting, it was in fact a four storey high building.

As the photographs unfolded, blood stained items came into view.

There were blood stains on the door leading to her bedroom, and blood on the lip of the sink in her en-suite bathroom.

A bin had been overturned and the contents strewn around the bathroom. “You will hear more about that, about the contents, in due course,” Mr Lewis told the jury.

There were bloody hand marks on the banister of the stairs leading to the second floor kitchen, where “shattered crockery etc” could be seen.

There was blood on the kitchen walls, on a tissue lying on a work surface and in the kitchen sink.

There was also blood on a discarded cigarette end.

Mr Lewis said there was more blood on the banister of the stairs leading to the third floor, which contained the lounge where Miss Bradbury’s body was found.

In that room there was blood on the floor and a wall in addition to “widespread” damage.

A glass table had been smashed, as had a television, and there was glass around Miss Bradbury’s body.

The trial, expected to last two weeks, will continue tomorrow.

Community

Government refusal to compensate 1950s-born women sparks legal row

Published

18 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Campaigners in west Wales accuse ministers of discrimination after Ombudsman findings rejected

WOMEN born in the 1950s across Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire are threatening legal action after the UK Government refused to pay compensation despite accepting maladministration in pension age communications.

The controversy follows a decision by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden MP, to reject recommendations from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which had investigated delays in notifying women about increases to the State Pension age.

In a letter sent to all MPs on January 29, the Secretary of State accepted that government failings caused a 28-month delay in sending letters to affected women but concluded that compensation would not be appropriate. He argued that most women were already aware that the State Pension age was rising and that there was no direct financial loss caused by the delay.

The Government also cited the projected cost of a compensation scheme — estimated at up to £10.3 billion — as part of its reasoning.

However, campaigners say the decision is unlawful and discriminatory.

Jackie Gilderdale, organiser for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen West 1950s Women of Wales, has written to local MP Henry Tufnell calling for the decision to be suspended and for independent mediation between ministers and campaign groups.

She said the Government had accepted wrongdoing but refused to remedy the consequences.

Campaigners argue that many women lost opportunities to plan financially for retirement due to the communication failures, particularly those with lower incomes, caring responsibilities or interrupted employment histories.

The letter claims the decision breaches equality law and administrative justice principles, and could be challenged through judicial review or other legal action.

It also raises concerns about consultation, alleging ministers relied on engagement with a single organisation representing only a small proportion of affected women rather than recognised campaign groups.

The dispute forms part of a long-running national controversy over pension age changes affecting women born in the 1950s, often associated with the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) movement.

The Ombudsman’s investigation, published in March 2024 after six years of work, found maladministration in the Department for Work and Pensions’ communication strategy and recommended a compensation framework.

While accepting fault, the Government maintains that the injustice threshold for compensation was not met.

Campaigners disagree, arguing that loss of opportunity — such as the chance to remain in work or adjust savings — constitutes a real and compensable harm.

A parliamentary petition calling for mediation between ministers and affected women has already attracted more than 60,000 signatures.

Charity

Concert at St Davids Cathedral to support hospice care in Pembrokeshire

Published

22 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

MUSIC lovers in Pembrokeshire are being invited to enjoy a special lunchtime concert at St Davids Cathedral later this month, with proceeds supporting the Paul Sartori Foundation’s hospice-at-home services.

The event, hosted by Totally Vocal Pembrokeshire, will take place on Saturday (Feb 21) at 1:00pm and will bring together local singing groups in the cathedral’s historic setting. The concert will also feature internationally renowned a cappella leader Deke Sharon.

Sharon, often described as the “godfather” of contemporary a cappella, is best known for his work on the hit Pitch Perfect films. His return to Pembrokeshire follows a successful workshop visit in late 2025 at the invitation of Pembrokeshire Pop Voices.

The local choir has chosen the Paul Sartori Foundation as one of its charities of the year and has been raising funds through a range of musical initiatives. Before Christmas, the group released a charity single titled Love the Bones of You, with proceeds helping to support hospice care across the county.

Supporters can contribute by streaming or downloading the song, or simply asking a smart speaker to play it — a small action organisers say can make a meaningful difference.

Further fundraising events are planned for the spring, including an evening of music and entertainment on Saturday (Mar 28) at 7:30pm at The Regency Hall in Saundersfoot. Pembrokeshire Pop Voices will be joined by Paul Sartori supporters The Slipway Ukes and local band Footbridge for a night of music, food and fundraising.

A spokesperson for the Paul Sartori Foundation said the events highlight the power of music to bring communities together while supporting vital care services.

“These events are wonderful experiences for audiences and they also raise essential funds for our hospice-at-home services,” she said. “We are incredibly grateful to groups such as Pembrokeshire Pop Voices, Totally Vocal Pembrokeshire and The Slipway Ukes for supporting care in our community.”

Anyone interested in organising a musical fundraiser or choosing the charity as their Charity of the Year can contact community fundraiser Rosie-Faye at [email protected].

Tickets for the St Davids Cathedral concert are available online via TicketSource, while tickets for the Saundersfoot event can be purchased through The Slipway Ukes or via the Paul Sartori Foundation website.

Education

Education system showing strengths — but literacy and teaching gaps remain

Published

29 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

ESTYN’S Chief Inspector has praised examples of strong practice across Wales’ education system but warned that weaknesses in literacy, teaching quality and leadership are still holding too many learners back.

The findings are set out in the education watchdog’s Annual Report, published today, which draws on inspection evidence from schools, colleges, training providers and wider education services during the 2024–2025 academic year.

While the report highlights encouraging developments — including improvements linked to curriculum reform and new national education bodies — it concludes that the system has not yet worked cohesively enough to ensure consistently high-quality teaching and learning across Wales.

Inspectors identified positive examples, including schools adopting structured approaches to reading, providers building strong professional learning cultures, and local authorities expanding Welsh-medium specialist provision.

However, long-standing challenges remain. These include inconsistencies in leadership and self-evaluation, recruitment difficulties, uneven access to high-quality professional development for teachers, and weaknesses in core skills such as reading, mathematics and digital competence.

Owen Evans, Chief Inspector, said: “This year’s report certainly points to grounds for optimism. Ongoing reform to the curriculum, the new School Improvement Programme, the establishment of Adnodd and Dysgu, and the first fully operational year of Medr provide opportunities to strengthen coherence across the system.

“We are, however, acutely aware of the increasing pressures on providers, including financial constraints, growing numbers of learners educated other than at school and rising demand for specialist provision. Concerns around literacy levels and teaching quality across Wales remain and without a sharper and more sustained focus in these areas, too many learners will continue to fall short of their potential.”

The report reviews inspection and thematic findings from the past academic year across eighteen sectors, including schools, non-maintained nursery settings, further education colleges, apprenticeships, initial teacher education, Welsh-language immersion provision and youth work.

It also examines how well education providers are addressing key challenges facing learners in Wales. Priority themes this year include developing humanities teaching, supporting pupils from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, strengthening independent thinking skills, improving literacy and numeracy across the curriculum, and the impact of leadership on teaching quality.

Mr Evans added: “I would like to thank all settings, providers, staff and learners who continue to demonstrate dedication and commitment despite significant pressures. Estyn remains committed to providing rigorous, constructive and fair independent scrutiny.

“I’m proud to include the innovation and strong practice we have seen across Wales and am optimistic that we can build on these strong foundations. However, decisive action is needed to address systemic weaknesses. We will continue to play our part by highlighting best practice, challenging underperformance and supporting improvement — for learners, for Wales.”

Alongside best-practice case studies, this year’s report is accompanied by a series of podcasts featuring education professionals and learners discussing themes such as apprenticeships and developing independent thinking.