Crime

Hakin fighter guilty of ‘cowardly’ attack against woman in pub car park

Published

1 year ago

September 13, 2024

A HAKIN man launched a “cowardly” assault on a woman outside a pub but was cleared of the incident being racially aggravated, a court has heard.

David Round, 38, of Camuset Close, was accused of attacking the Vicky Bambrough-Harteveld in the car park of The Three Crowns pub in the early hours of 2 July 2022. Round, a professional fighter, punched the woman to the ground twice before straddling her and delivering “three or four” additional punches, the court was told. During the altercation, it was also alleged that he bit her finger as she tried to fend him off.

Round denied the charges, telling the jury, “I wouldn’t hit a woman.”

After five hours and 29 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the charge of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm. However, he was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Rees adjourned sentencing until 14 October to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. Round was granted bail until that date, but Judge Rees warned him to expect a custodial sentence.

The court heard that Round had prior convictions, including wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2009, and battery in 2013.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue told the court that Round had been involved in a fight on the night of the incident, a fact corroborated by CCTV footage. Round admitted he had consumed at least 10 pints of beer and several shots that evening. Ms Donohue described him as “much drunker than anyone else” involved.

The altercation reportedly began after a comment made by the victim’s partner “clearly got under Mr Round’s skin”, leading to a violent outburst just moments after Round exited the pub.

The victim testified that after a fight between Round and her partner was broken up, she witnessed Round punch his wife. She intervened, telling him, “You can’t do that,” at which point he allegedly turned around and struck her.

The woman sustained a black eye, bruising and swelling to her face, a cut lip, and a cut finger. In cross-examination, defence counsel David Leathley questioned the extent of the complainant’s injuries, suggesting they would have been more severe had a professional fighter been involved. The victim retorted, “No they wouldn’t because Mr Round loses most of his fights.”

Ms Donohue argued that the punch to the victim’s face, particularly the black eye, was a “significant injury” unlikely to have been caused by simply pulling two people apart.

Round was also accused of using racist language, including the N-word, during the attack, though he denied these claims. Mr Leathley pointed to inconsistencies in the victim’s statements and argued that Round “is not a racist”, noting his previous relationship with one of the complainant’s cousins.

Round will return to court for sentencing next month.

Crime

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

Published

4 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

4 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

8 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.