Crime

Brutal robbery ends in five-year sentence for Manorbier resident

Published

2 years ago

November 10, 2023

JORDAN Cooney, 28, of Dewing Avenue in Manorbier, has been handed a prison sentence exceeding five years for a brutal and bloody robbery that took place on the evening of September 26 this year in Pembroke Dock.

Cooney, fuelled by a combination of alcohol and cannabis, invaded his victim’s flat, unleashing a barrage of punches that left the older man battered and terrified. Swansea Crown Court heard that Cooney relentlessly assaulted the victim, demanding his debit card and PIN number with each blow. The victim, who endured between 20 and 30 blows, described the ordeal as the most intense physical trauma of his life.

The motive behind the assault emerged during the court proceedings. Cooney was aware that his victim was due to receive benefit payments at midnight. With calculated precision, Cooney waited for the opportune moment to extract the necessary information to access the funds.

The court was informed that Cooney, after midnight on September 26, attempted to withdraw cash from a Pembroke Dock cash point but was unsuccessful due to the funds not being transferred. Undeterred, he returned at 2:22 am on September 27, successfully withdrawing £500 from the victim’s account. A subsequent attempt to withdraw the remaining £160 was thwarted, as it exceeded the daily withdrawal limit.

Judge Mr Recorder J Powell KC remarked, “This was a deliberate plan. Almost as if you were waiting for midnight to approach so you could get the information to obtain the money.”

Following the harrowing incident, the victim, fearing for his safety, bravely called emergency services. When the police arrived at his residence, they found him with a severely swollen and bloody face, bearing the physical scars of the ruthless attack.

Cooney’s apprehension in Monkton on the afternoon of September 27 led to the discovery of two bags of cocaine worth approximately £100 in his possession. Initially denying the charges of robbery and causing actual bodily harm, Cooney eventually pleaded guilty to robbery, actual bodily harm (ABH), fraud, and possession of a controlled drug during the court hearing on Friday, November 10.

The court uncovered Cooney’s extensive criminal history, comprising 16 previous convictions for 39 offences. Shockingly, he was on bail and under supervision at the time of the robbery and ABH.

In his defence, it was revealed that Cooney expressed genuine remorse for his actions, actively seeking help for his issues, including drug misuse and PTSD. In response, Judge Powell handed down a sentence of five years and three months, with half to be served in jail and the remaining half on licence.

Judge Powell concluded the sentencing with a note of hope, stating, “I hope that you will continue to make use of your time in custody and that by the time you come out you will be a different person. If you do that, everybody else will be delighted. If you don’t, then you will spend much of your life in prison and that will be a tragedy.”

The judge also issued an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim and a destruction order for the seized drugs, highlighting the severity and impact of Cooney’s actions on his victim’s life.

Crime

Swansea man jailed for online child sex offence dies in prison

Published

10 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man who was jailed earlier this year for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child has died while in custody.

Gareth Davies, aged 59, of the Maritime Quarter, was serving an 18-month prison sentence after being convicted in May of sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl. The account was in fact a decoy used as part of an online safeguarding operation.

The court heard that Davies began communicating with the decoy between November and December 2024 and persistently pursued the individual, later attempting to arrange a face-to-face meeting. He was arrested after being confronted by the decoy operators.

Davies had pleaded not guilty but was convicted following a trial. At the time of sentencing, police described the messages as extremely concerning and said his imprisonment was necessary to protect children.

It has now been confirmed that Davies died at HMP Parc on Wednesday (Nov 27) while serving his sentence.

The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has launched an independent investigation into the death, which is standard procedure in all cases where someone dies in custody. No cause of death has been released at this stage.

A coroner will determine the circumstances in due course.

Crime

Pembrokeshire man sent to Crown Court over death by careless driving charge

Published

11 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been sent to the Crown Court to stand trial accused of causing a death by careless or inconsiderate driving.

Alexander MacCallum, aged 28, of Beach Road, Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 18).

The court heard that MacCallum is charged with causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving following an incident on Thursday (June 13, 2024).

No plea was entered at this stage of the proceedings.

Magistrates were told the case was too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ level and ordered that it be sent to the Crown Court for trial.

MacCallum was sent to the Crown Court on unconditional bail, with further proceedings to take place at a later date.

The prosecution was brought by Dyfed-Powys Police. No defence solicitor was formally recorded at the hearing.

Crime

Breakthrough in 1993 Tooze murders: 86-year-old man arrested after cold case review

Published

14 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE investigating one of Wales’ most disturbing unsolved double murders have arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of killing elderly couple Harry and Megan Tooze more than three decades ago.

South Wales Police confirmed the arrest on Tuesday (Dec 17), following a forensic cold case review into the 1993 killings, which shocked the rural community of Llanharry and cast a long shadow over the South Wales justice system.

Harry Tooze, aged 64, and his wife Megan, 67, were found shot dead with a shotgun at their isolated Ty Ar y Waun farmhouse on July 26, 1993. Their bodies were discovered inside a cowshed on the property, concealed beneath carpet and hay bales, having been shot in the head at close range.

The brutality of the killings and the remoteness of the scene prompted one of the most high-profile murder investigations in Wales at the time.

Conviction later quashed

In 1995, Cheryl Tooze’s then-boyfriend, Jonathan Jones, was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. The prosecution case rested heavily on a partial fingerprint found on a teacup at the farmhouse.

However, the conviction unravelled just a year later. In 1996, the Court of Appeal quashed the verdict, ruling it unsafe and highlighting serious concerns about the reliability of the fingerprint evidence. The decision was widely regarded as a significant miscarriage of justice.

Jones, who consistently maintained his innocence, was supported throughout the ordeal by Cheryl Tooze, whom he later married. The couple have since spoken publicly about the devastating impact of the case on their lives.

Despite renewed appeals and periodic reviews, no one else was charged and the murders remained unresolved for nearly 30 years.

Operation Vega and forensic advances

In 2023, marking the 30th anniversary of the killings, South Wales Police launched a full cold case review under Operation Vega. The review was led by forensic scientist Professor Angela Gallop, one of the UK’s most respected figures in forensic investigation.

Detectives re-examined preserved exhibits from the original crime scene using modern forensic and DNA techniques that were not available in the early 1990s. Police have not disclosed which items were re-analysed or what evidence led to the latest arrest.

On December 17, officers arrested an 86-year-old man on suspicion of murdering Harry and Megan Tooze. He remains in police custody while enquiries continue. No further details about the suspect have been released at this stage.

Police appeal for information

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Mark Lewis described the arrest as a significant moment, but stressed that the investigation is ongoing.

He said: “While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing. This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

“Even with the passage of time, I would urge anyone who has information about the murders, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward and speak to police.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact South Wales Police, quoting occurrence number 2300016841.