Cardiff Crown Court Sentencing Results

Jamie Garwood, 34, killed his friend Richard Thompson, 42, at his home in Newport on August 30, 2022. Garwood punched Thompson on the chin, causing him to fall and hit his head. While unconscious, others placed cigarette butts in his nose. An ambulance was called two hours later. Thompson never recovered.

John Hawker, 25, from St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court for a series of sexual offences against an underage teenage girl. The abuse began when the victim was a young child, with Hawker inappropriately touching her despite her repeated refusals and pleas to stop. He manipulated her by offering bribes such as chocolate and presents to build her confidence and trust, eventually escalating to repeated rapes. The court heard that one particularly traumatic incident occurred while the girl was sleeping; she awoke in pain and discomfort to find Hawker raping her. She struggled to push him away, but he persisted. Judge Jeremy Jenkins noted that this assault took the victim's virginity. The grooming and abuse continued for years, though it became less frequent after Hawker learned the girl had reported sexual abuse by another man to the police. Following his arrest, police discovered images of child abuse on a device belonging to Hawker. He denied seven counts of rape, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, but was convicted by a jury after a trial. The victim described the profound impact of the abuse, including difficulty attending school, loss of trust, and emotional distress.

Kyle Plummer, of Beddau, was convicted of raping a woman at a property in Beddau in 2023. He maintained his innocence, but a jury at Cardiff Crown Court found him guilty after hearing evidence over three days in April 2026. He received an extended sentence of six years and six months.

Mark Anthony Cain, a 38-year-old warehouse worker from Newport, carried out a prolonged campaign of rape against a primary-school-aged boy in the Vale of Glamorgan. The abuse included at least 22 separate rapes, forcing the victim to watch sexual acts, and viewing pornographic material. The case emerged years later when the victim disclosed during a medical appointment. Cain was convicted on four counts of raping a child under 13.

Michael Tustin, 33, from Ninian Road, Roath, Cardiff, began abusing his victim before she was a teenager, plying her with Apple Sourz until intoxicated, sexually touching and raping her on multiple occasions while filming it. The victim felt guilty, isolated herself, and contemplated suicide. Abuse discovered after she told her mother; Tustin's phone contained videos/images of the abuse and other indecent images of children. He initially denied intercourse but later pleaded guilty.