Crime

Paedophile caught with 1000 indecent images branded ‘sad man with sad fantasies’

Published

3 months ago

August 15, 2024

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been condemned as “a sad man with sad fantasies” after authorities uncovered nearly 1,000 indecent videos and images of children, including newborn babies, in his possession.

Matthew Wood, 30, was found guilty of possessing a vast trove of child sexual abuse material after police seized multiple electronic devices from his home on Coronation Avenue on 28 September 2022. Prosecutor Caitlin Brazel revealed that the items confiscated included phones, laptops, computer towers, and an iPad.

Wood admitted to having indecent images of children and cooperated with police by providing access to his devices. During an interview, he further directed officers to two additional computer towers that had not been found during the initial search.

Wood claimed that the images were sent to him through a group chat on the Kik messaging platform, stating that he was “merely curious about what could be found online” and had not viewed the material “for a number of years.”

In total, police discovered 102 images and 321 videos of Category A, 248 images and 62 videos of Category B, and 212 images and eight videos of Category C, along with five prohibited videos of children and 20 extreme pornographic videos depicting bestiality. Additionally, it was revealed that Wood had distributed a Category A video on 1 February 2022, showing a baby, aged between 12 and 18 months, being sexually abused by a man.

Ms Brazel described Wood as an “active participant” in the group chats, where he sent disturbing messages expressing his intent to “rape all the subjects” of the images and videos, and voiced a desire to meet the person who sent him the videos so they could “tag team” a child.

Wood pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including distributing an indecent image of a child, three offences of making indecent images of children, possessing a prohibited image of a child, and possessing extreme pornography. These offences spanned from August 2018 to September 2022.

In mitigation, defence counsel Ian Ibrahim highlighted that Wood had no previous convictions and acknowledged that his client’s “good character is now, of course, lost forever.” Mr Ibrahim also noted that Wood had been ostracised by his family, with his mother telling him not to return home, and that he had been attending sex therapy sessions voluntarily. Wood no longer claimed to have obtained the images “out of curiosity.”

Presiding over the case, Judge Paul Thomas KC expressed his deep concern over the material found on Wood’s devices. “The material that you had over a prolonged period of time on your various devices was utterly appalling,” he stated, adding that Wood’s participation in the chats was “extremely worrying.”

“You are a sad man with sad fantasies,” Judge Thomas continued. “If you have become a social pariah, you can hardly blame people for acting in disgust at the sort of images you were viewing.”

Wood was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete the Maps For Change programme and undertake 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Additionally, Wood must register as a sex offender.

Crime

Court hears man exposed his flaccid manhood ‘by accident’

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Court Reporter

A 21-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has appeared before magistrates charged with intentionally exposing his genitals in a public place.

Thomas Jones is accused of carrying out the act at a property in New Moat, Clarbeston Road, on November 9, 2022.

“The defendant knocked on the door of a female and offered his gardening services,” Crown prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“She accepted his offer and moved her car so that he could move his van, but when she turned around, she could see his flaccid penis was outside his trousers. When she pointed this out to him, he said he didn’t know that it was exposed.”

Jones denies the charge. He was released on unconditional bail to await his trial at Haverfordwest magistrates court on January 6.

Crime

Regular cocaine user from Milford Haven taken off the road

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Sarah Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN resident who admits to being a regular cocaine user has lost his driving licence after being found behind the wheel when he was 15 times over the legal Benzoylecgonine limit.

Teifion Morse, 41, was stopped by officers just before midnight on May 1 following reports that he was driving his Vauxhall Insignia along the A477 at excessive speeds.

“The vehicle was travelling westwards towards Kilgetty, and Teifion Morse was the driver and the sole occupant, “ Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

A roadside drugs wipe proved positive while further blood tests carried out at the police custody suite showed that Morse had 800 mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system (the legal limit is 50), and 20 mcg of cocaine. The legal limit is 10.

Ms James said that when Morse was spoken to by officers, he told them that he knew the readings would be positive. “I’ve done stupid amounts today,” he said.

Morse, of Hawthorn Path, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to two charges of drug driving. A probation report stated that since leaving the military five and a half years ago, Morse has suffered from mental health issues.

He’s been using cocaine as a coping mechanism,” said the probation officer. “He freely admits that he uses cocaine to help him cope, but it’s spiralled and is getting more and more out of control. He would like support to kick this habit.”

Morse chose to be legally unrepresented when he appeared before magistrates.

“It was my stupid fault and I’m trying to take the correct steps to get on the right path,” he said in mitigation.

Morse was sentenced to an 18-month community order during which he must carry out 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months and must pay a £140 court surcharge and £85 costs.

Crime

Motorist manned from driving after being caught over limit

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK motorist has been ordered off the roads after driving through Pembroke town centre when he was over the drink-drive limit.

Just before 1am on October 31, police officers stopped a Vauxhall Zafira that was being driven along South Road by Cameron Sell, 23, who was exceeding the speed limit.

“He was acting erratically when he was speaking to the officer,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverofrdwest magistrates this week.

A roadside breath test proved positive and subsequent breath tests carried out at the police station showed Sell had 42 mcg of alcohol in his system. The legal limit is 35.

After considering the facts, magistrates fined Sell £300 and ordered him to pay a £120 court surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.