Cardiff Crown Court Sentencing Results

Natalie Arroyo, 33, a supply teacher, groomed a 15-year-old vulnerable boy by sending naked pictures of herself via Snapchat and expressing desires to have sex with him. She sent videos of herself performing sex acts, asked for pictures of his penis, and promised to leave her husband for him. The abuse was disclosed by the victim to another adult, leading to her arrest.

Lee Sandeman, 39, from Ebbw Vale, groomed a 15-year-old girl in Canada over Discord, coercing her into performing sexual acts on camera and recording them. Police seized his computer containing hundreds of indecent images of children, including images of the victim and extreme pornography depicting children as young as nine being raped.

Andrew Thornton, already subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order from a 2021 conviction for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, breached the order by using prohibited apps like Zangi and Telegram for encrypted communication. Police examination of his phone on April 28 revealed he had contacted a 14-year-old girl and made Airbnb bookings. A search of his address uncovered unregistered phones and children's underwear sized 12 to 14 years old, for which he provided no explanation.

Christopher West was driving his Vauxhall Astra over the 30mph speed limit on Heol Trelai, Caerau, Cardiff, on May 1, 2023, when he failed to see the 15-year-old victim on a pedestrian crossing, despite the victim being illuminated by an iPad. He struck and killed the victim at the scene. West had his two daughters and their friend in the car and was reportedly showing off by snaking along the road and disconnecting the car's black box, which invalidated his insurance.

On March 15, 2025, in Barry, Mohammed Hafiz was walking a dog when he encountered the victim, whom he knew from school. Hafiz shouted abuse at a woman across the road, and when the victim intervened, Hafiz became aggressive, smashed a pint glass into the victim's face, causing deep lacerations near his left eye and on his wrist. The victim required hospital treatment and has since experienced anxiety, fear of encountering Hafiz, and changes to his routine.

Jack Llewellyn was driving a black Skoda Octavia when he lost control and collided with a silver Ford C-Max on Greenforge Way, Cwmbran, at around 4.05pm on Thursday 30 March 2023. The front seat passenger of the Skoda was pronounced dead at the scene, and a five-year-old boy travelling in the Ford was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Police said Llewellyn drove dangerously, too quickly for the road, and carried out an undertaking manoeuvre at speed before losing control and drifting onto the opposite carriageway.

On September 13, 2023, Mohammed Zahid was driving a white van on the A483 near Llanddewi in Powys when he turned right into an unclassified road but failed to see the victim, a 72-year-old motorcyclist, approaching from the opposite direction. The van collided with the motorcycle, striking the passenger-side wheel arch and throwing the victim from his bike into the air. He sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene despite paramedics' efforts. Zahid remained at the scene, assisted authorities, and tested negative for alcohol and drugs, with no evidence of excessive speed.

Alex Rickwood was driving an uninsured MG ZR car without a valid MOT and with a fraudulent trade plate on High Street, Dowlais. He lost control while speeding well above the 30 mph limit, estimated at 36 to 45 mph or more, failed to negotiate a bend, over-corrected, hit a lamppost, and mounted the pavement, striking and killing the victim, a 52-year-old grandmother who was out jogging in a bright pink running top. The incident occurred on September 19, 2022, and Rickwood remained at the scene, calling emergency services.

Tuncay Karakulah was called by his cousin who worked at a kebab shop in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, after a customer broke into his car in the early hours of May 25. He armed himself with a knife, drove to the car park, confronted the victim who had been looking into a Renault Clio, punched him once, knocking him unconscious and causing a fractured nose and jaw. Police found the victim on the ground, performed CPR, and Karakulah later reported the incident.

David Taylor, 43, of Barry, engaged in sexualised conversations with two decoys he believed to be 14 and 15-year-old girls on social media. He used the username 'TheDude123' and attempted to groom them by discussing sex, sending links to pornographic websites, describing masturbation, asking them to touch themselves, requesting images, and suggesting they meet for 'naked stuff'. This occurred in April, and he was reported by a paedophile hunting group, leading to his arrest for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He has a history of similar offences dating back to 2005.

Lee Winmill, 45, from Barry, engaged in controlling and coercive behaviour towards his fiancée from 2021 onwards, after they became engaged in 2023. He monitored her with security cameras, tracked her location, isolated her from friends and family, inspected her belongings, accused her of infidelity including claiming she was unfaithful in her sleep, and was verbally aggressive. This included interrupting her conversations, bombarding her with calls and texts, and confronting her after she ended the relationship, leading to her feeling imprisoned and experiencing significant distress.

Steven Driscoll, 57, of Caerau, Cardiff, had been in a six-year relationship that ended in 2022. On October 21, 2023, he sent a voice recording to his ex-partner's friend, capturing an argument where he threatened to 'ruin her' by posting about her alleged wrongdoings and sexual favours on social media. He made further threats in messages, claiming he would destroy her life, cause her to lose her job and house. On November 5, 2023, he appeared at her home, threw a garden ornament at her window, causing damage, and scratched her car, resulting in £2,000 worth of damage. This was part of a sustained campaign of harassment.

Mark Barnfield, 43, of Barry, spent hours creating AI images depicting child abuse by using photographs of real celebrities to generate graphic images of children as young as two years old being sexually abused by adults. He was arrested on February 28 after police received intelligence about indecent images. An examination of his laptop revealed 332 category A images, 91 category B images, 1,014 category C images, and four prohibited images, all AI-generated but realistic enough to be legally categorised as photographs. His browsing history showed searches for terms like 'porn kids incest' and for celebrities such as Emma Stone to make them appear younger. He claimed he created the images to 'train himself' not to have a sexual interest in children.

Lee Jakes set fire to Dyfrig House, a supported accommodation unit on Fitzhamon Embankment in Cardiff, shortly before midnight at the beginning of March 2025, causing £2 million in damage. The fire left 21 occupants homeless, with smoke visible for miles, and no injuries were reported.

Daniel Boucher was driving his Peugeot 207 GTI at excessive speed and showing off on Ty Du Road on April 18, 2023. He lost control on a bend, causing the vehicle to leave the road, crash into a lamppost, flip onto its side, and strike the 66-year-old victim, who was walking his dog after finishing work. The crash investigator determined that the speed exceeded the safe limit of 45-55 mph for the bend, leading to 'lift-off oversteer' due to the driver's actions.

Huw Orphan, a constable with Gwent Police, kicked his wife down a flight of stairs during an argument, resulting in her suffering a fractured spine and ongoing pain and mobility issues.

On March 29, 2025, Jordan Barron was driving a Ford Fiesta when police spotted him and initiated a pursuit. He engaged in dangerous driving, including going the wrong way around roundabouts, mounting kerbs and bollards, overtaking carelessly, failing to stop at a red light, and driving on the wrong side of the road despite his tyres being damaged by a police stinger. The chase lasted about 10 minutes and ended when he crashed into a police car in an industrial estate and attempted to flee on foot before being arrested. He admitted he knew he was being followed and lacked insurance.

Wayne Adams was driving a white Peugeot van on the B4280 in Bridgend on September 5, 2022, when he failed to see the victim due to low sunlight. He struck the victim from behind, causing the victim to crash and suffer severe injuries including fractures to the spine, ribs, and breast bone, as well as soft tissue injuries and fluid in the abdominal cavity. Adams initially thought he had hit a sheep and only realised it was a person upon returning to the scene.

Dima Sarafa, a 20-year-old driver who had recently passed her test, was on her lunch break when she struck and killed 73-year-old Philip Jones on a zebra crossing in Llanedeyrn Drive, Cardiff, on January 6, 2023. She was driving her Ford Fiesta at 24-25mph in a 20mph zone without braking before the collision, despite a glare in her vision. The victim suffered severe head injuries, including a fractured skull and brain bleeding, and died on April 11, 2023. Witnesses described Sarafa as hysterical at the scene.

Callum Coate engaged in a pattern of violent and controlling behaviour towards his partner starting in 2023. Incidents included strangling her multiple times, including when she was 10 weeks pregnant, where he kneed her in the stomach and prevented her from leaving the house. On another occasion, he lifted her off the ground by her throat until she passed out. Further assaults involved punching and strangling her, fuelled by jealousy and demands for money for cannabis. The violence continued after the birth of their child, with him accusing her of infidelity and trashing the home.

On November 21, 2024, Anthony Foley entered the victim's home after they had been drinking together the previous night. He punched the victim twice in the face and attacked him with a knife, inflicting two wounds to the victim's left forearm and causing a fracture that required a cast. The incident has had a significant impact on the victim's mental health, daily tasks, and relationships.

Debbie Tunstall was involved in producing cannabis at the family home in Old St Mellons. On November 24, 2022, police searched the home and found a cannabis farm in the attic with 32 plants equipped with lights, scales, growing charts, and calendars. Messages on her son Brandon's phone indicated she was asked to water the plants. The family enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, including an expensive kitchen, bathroom, feature fish tank, outbuildings, and two Mercedes cars.

Darren Tunstall was involved in producing cannabis at the family home in Old St Mellons. On November 24, 2022, police searched the home and found a cannabis farm in the attic with 32 plants equipped with lights, scales, growing charts, and calendars. The family enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, including an expensive kitchen, bathroom, feature fish tank, outbuildings, and two Mercedes cars. Messages on his son Brandon's phone indicated involvement in the cannabis farm.

Craig Peacock, 35, was driving a Peugeot 307 under the influence of drugs on April 11, when he was spotted speeding at 50mph in a 30mph zone in Cwmbran. He ignored police signals to stop and accelerated away, reaching speeds of up to 120mph on the A4042, overtaking vehicles dangerously. He lost control near the Crow's Nest pub, crashing into a lamppost at 80mph and narrowly missing pedestrians. He fled the scene but was detained, tested positive for cocaine and cannabis, and refused to provide a blood sample due to injuries.