Crime

Cocaine-dealing cousins jailed after police bust west Wales drug operation

Published

1 year ago

August 16, 2024

TWO cousins from Swansea have been sentenced for their roles in a cocaine-dealing operation, following a series of events that began with the keen observation of off-duty police officers. Ben Rose, 21, and Corey Jones, 20, were both apprehended after it was discovered that they were running a drug line known as the RJ line, which distributed high-purity cocaine across west Wales.

The court heard how, at the beginning of 2024, South Wales Police became aware of the RJ line operating in the city. This line was used to send bulk text messages to hundreds of recipients, advertising “fire”—a slang term for high-purity cocaine—and offering a delivery service. Despite the phone number being unregistered, data analysis revealed that it was frequently used to communicate with a large network of contacts, sometimes sending out messages to as many as 290 recipients at once.

The case against Rose and Jones began to unfold in an unexpected manner in April 2024. A group of off-duty officers from the western roads policing team were having a meal at the Turtle Bay restaurant in Swansea city centre when they noticed suspicious activity outside. A group of young people were gathered around an unregistered motorbike, and the officers, suspecting that the bike might be stolen, decided to intervene. When they approached, several of the youths attempted to flee, but the officers managed to apprehend them, including Jones, who was found to be carrying a mobile phone linked to the RJ drug line.

At first, the significance of the phone was not apparent. It was only after a detailed analysis of its contents that officers realised they had stumbled upon the nerve centre of a significant drug operation. Messages on the phone revealed the extent of the drug dealing activities, including the scale of distribution and the frequent communications between the dealers and their customers.

Further investigation linked the RJ line directly to Jones. Cell site analysis showed that Jones’ personal phone had co-located with the RJ line phone on 290 occasions between mid-February and early April 2024. Moreover, the RJ line’s SIM card had been used in Jones’ handset, providing irrefutable evidence of his involvement. It was also discovered that both the RJ line and Jones’ personal phone had been used to order taxis from his home in Mayhill and from his father’s address, further linking him to the operation.

The investigation then led police to Ben Rose, Jones’ cousin. Subscriber checks revealed that Rose had been in regular contact with both Jones and the RJ line, more frequently than with his own partner. This connection was further confirmed through data showing Rose’s phone had co-located with both the RJ line and Jones’ phone on multiple occasions. When police decided to arrest the two men on July 10, 2024, Jones was not at home, but he later surrendered himself to Swansea Central police station. Rose, who was on holiday in Turkey at the time, was arrested upon his return to the UK on July 22, 2024.

In court, it was revealed that Rose had a history of drug-related offences. In January 2022, he had been sentenced to 22 months in prison for drug trafficking and for smuggling prohibited items into HMP Parc near Bridgend. On that occasion, Rose and his accomplices had thrown socks filled with tobacco, mobile phones, chargers, drugs, and even miniature bottles of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Smirnoff vodka over the prison wall before leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen Range Rover. Despite this, Rose had tried to reform his life, working for his father’s scaffolding business and becoming a father himself. However, he was lured back into the world of drug dealing, a decision that would have dire consequences.

Jones, who also had a troubled past, was previously involved in the notorious Mayhill riots of March 2022. At the time, his identity was protected due to his age, but the riot was one of the most significant instances of civil disorder in Swansea in recent years. Jones had grown up in difficult circumstances, splitting his time between homes in North Wales and Swansea, and had struggled with drug addiction from a young age. His descent into dealing was driven by his need to support his cocaine habit after he lost his job.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas KC addressed the defendants, emphasising that they had both known the severe consequences of getting involved in the supply of Class A drugs. He told them that they had gambled with their futures and had lost. The judge sentenced Rose to four years in prison and Jones to 28 months in a young offenders’ institution. Both will serve up to half of their sentences in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The judge’s remarks underscored the gravity of the cousins’ actions and the impact that their involvement in drug dealing would have not only on their own lives but also on their families and the wider community. Rose’s young son, just a year old, and Jones’ attempts at rehabilitation and education were cited as examples of how their choices had repercussions far beyond their own immediate circumstances.

In a statement, South Wales Police praised the vigilance of the off-duty officers whose intervention had led to the arrests, highlighting the importance of community awareness and the role of law enforcement in tackling drug-related crime. The RJ line, which had been a significant source of cocaine in Swansea, was effectively dismantled thanks to the officers’ actions, and the conviction of Rose and Jones was seen as a significant victory in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in the region.

Crime

Swansea man dies weeks after release from troubled HMP Parc: Investigation launched

Published

5 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A SWANSEA man has died just weeks after being released from HMP Parc, the Bridgend prison now at the centre of a national crisis over inmate deaths and post-release failures.

Darren Thomas, aged 52, died on 13 November 2025 — less than a month after leaving custody. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) has confirmed an independent investigation into his death, which is currently listed as “in progress”.

Born on 9 April 1973, Mr Thomas had been under post-release supervision following a period at HMP/YOI Parc, the G4S-run prison that recorded seventeen deaths in custody in 2024 — the highest in the UK.

His last known legal appearance was at Swansea Crown Court in October 2024, where he stood trial accused of making a threatening phone call and two counts of criminal damage. During the hearing, reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald at the time, the court heard he made threats during a heated call on 5 October 2023.

Mr Thomas denied the allegations but was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to a custodial term, which led to his imprisonment at HMP Parc.

Parc: A prison in breakdown

HMP Parc has faced sustained criticism throughout 2024 and 2025. A damning unannounced inspection in January found:

Severe self-harm incidents up 190%
Violence against staff up 109%
Synthetic drugs “easily accessible” across wings
Overcrowding at 108% capacity

In the first three months of 2024 alone, ten men died at Parc — part of a wider cluster of twenty PPO-investigated deaths since 2022. Six occurred within three weeks, all linked to synthetic drug use.

Leaked staff messages in 2025 exposed a culture of indifference, including one officer writing: “Let’s push him to go tomorrow so we can drop him.”

Six G4S employees have been arrested since 2023 in connection with alleged assaults and misconduct.

The danger after release

Deaths shortly after release from custody are a growing national concern. Ministry of Justice data shows 620 people died while under community supervision in 2024–2025, with 62 deaths occurring within 14 days of release.

Short sentences — common at Parc — leave little time for effective rehabilitation or release planning. Homelessness, loss of drug tolerance and untreated mental-health conditions create a high-risk environment for those newly released.

The PPO investigates all such deaths to determine whether prisons or probation failed in their duties. Reports often take 6–12 months and can lead to recommendations.

A system at breaking point

The crisis at Parc reflects wider failures across UK prisons and probation. A July 2025 House of Lords report described the service as “not fit for purpose”. More than 500 people die in custody annually, with campaigners warning that private prisons such as Parc prioritise cost-cutting over care.

The PPO investigation into the death of Darren Thomas continues.

Crime

Woman stabbed partner in Haverfordwest before handing herself in

Published

6 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Court Reporter

A WOMAN who stabbed her partner during a drug-fuelled episode walked straight into Haverfordwest Police Station and told officers what she had done, Swansea Crown Court has heard.

Amy Woolston, 22, of Dartmouth Street in Milford Haven, arrived at the station at around 8:00pm on June 13 and said: “I stabbed my ex-partner earlier… he’s alright and he let me walk off,” prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court.

The pair had taken acid together earlier in the day, and Woolston claimed she believed she could feel “stab marks in her back” before the incident.

Police find victim with four wounds

Officers went to the victim’s home to check on him. He was not there at first, but returned shortly afterwards. He appeared sober and told police: “Just a couple of things,” before pointing to injuries on his back.

He had three stab or puncture wounds to his back and another to his bicep.

The victim said that when he arrived home from the shop, Woolston was acting “a bit shifty”. After asking if she was alright, she grabbed something from the windowsill — described as either a knife or a shard of glass — and stabbed him.

He told officers he had “had worse from her before”, did not support a prosecution, and refused to go to hospital.

Defendant has long history of violence

Woolston pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding. The court heard she had amassed 20 previous convictions from 10 court appearances, including assaults, battery, and offences against emergency workers.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas said Woolston had longstanding mental health problems and had been off medication prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia at the time.
“She’s had a difficult upbringing,” he added, saying she was remorseful and now compliant with treatment.

Woolston was jailed for 12 months, but the court heard she has already served the equivalent time on remand and will be released imminently on a 12-month licence.

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

10 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.