Newport (Iow) Crown Court Sentencing Results

On May 28, 2025, Jordan Coles, 29, of St Michael's Road, Abergavenny, walked the heavily intoxicated wife of victim William Murphy home from the Great Western pub in Abergavenny after both had been drinking separately there. Mr Murphy recognised Coles as a fellow pub drinker and told him to leave the house. As Mr Murphy turned to walk towards the front door, Coles attacked him by repeatedly punching him to the back of the head, threw him to the floor, continued punching, and kicked him to the head while defenceless. The victim lost consciousness after a kick and lay motionless as Coles continued kicking him to the head before delivering a final kick and leaving. Coles then walked back to the pub covered in blood and told staff he 'thought he had killed someone'. Police found Mr Murphy on the floor covered in blood with serious facial injuries, dizziness, and chest pain. He was taken to Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran, where he was diagnosed with bleeds on both sides of the brain, swelling around the left eye, and bruising to his scalp. In his victim personal statement, Mr Murphy described great physical and mental pain, terror, a massive black eye, cut to forehead, bruising all over his back, ongoing headaches requiring painkillers four times a day, risk of fatality from another head blow, scars on forehead, and affected hearing in one ear.

Benjamin Bird, 36, of no fixed abode, engaged in a series of violent assaults against his partner over several months in 2024. On April 20, 2024, after an argument at the Pen and Wig pub in Newport, he dragged her to the floor and strangled her for 10 seconds; she fled and called police but later denied the incident. On July 28, 2024, while returning from Cardiff celebrating their anniversary, he accused her of cheating, punched her in the face, and spat at her, leading the taxi driver to eject them. Later that day, he threatened to kill her dog, punched her unconscious for 15 seconds causing a black eye and jaw pain. On October 10, 2024, he arrived at her home with a metal bar, ran at her, and strangled her against the wall threatening to 'f****** kill her'. On November 10, 2024, an argument over a photo led to a struggle; he pinched her nose to force her mouth open and later struck a window. The victim suffered severe emotional distress, flashbacks, sleep issues, and social withdrawal.

In April 2025, Jamila Michaela Diane Fletcher-Oates, aged 42, of Dart Road, Bettws, Newport, failed to feed or provide water to her three French Bulldogs—Precious, Destiny, and Diamond—for a six-day period following the death of her wife in February 2024. Destiny and Diamond died from dehydration, while Precious suffered organ failure and died within two to three weeks after being attended to. The mummified bodies were left in the garden kennels until discovered by RSPCA Inspector Simon Evans in July 2025, with Precious wrapped in three bags and the others in a small travel cage.

On June 7, 2026, Efekan Karahan, 18, from Bristol, travelled with accomplice Ashley Corbin to an address in Cardiff to 'send a message' to a member of a rival organised crime gang. They targeted the house where the gang member's two younger brothers lived. Karahan, wearing a balaclava and dark clothing, approached the front door, slipped, then pushed a loaded double-barrelled shotgun through the letterbox and fired twice, injuring a 15-year-old boy with 30 pellet wounds to his legs. The boy was home alone with his younger brother making coffee when the shots were fired. Karahan dropped the gun after tripping while fleeing, picked it up, and they escaped in a stolen grey Volkswagen Golf driven by Corbin, who filmed the incident. DNA evidence and phone videos confirmed their involvement. The shooting was pre-planned, with CCTV showing them scouting the area after stopping at Costa Coffee.

On June 7, 2026, Ashley Corbin, 21, from Bristol with no fixed abode, drove accomplice Efekan Karahan in a stolen grey Volkswagen Golf to an address in Cardiff to 'send a message' to a member of a rival organised crime gang. They targeted the house where the gang member's two younger brothers lived. Corbin filmed Karahan, who was wearing a balaclava and dark clothing, as he approached the front door, pushed a loaded double-barrelled shotgun through the letterbox, and fired twice, injuring a 15-year-old boy with 30 pellet wounds to his legs. The boy was home alone with his younger brother making coffee when the shots were fired. They fled after Karahan tripped and dropped the gun, which he recovered. Corbin attached false number plates to the car. DNA on the plates and phone messages ridiculing the incident confirmed involvement. The shooting was pre-planned, with CCTV showing them scouting the area after stopping at Costa Coffee.

Montana Robertson, 23, from Pant Glas, Pentwyn, Cardiff, visited her boyfriend at HMP Parc in Bridgend on April 4, 2025. During a routine search, she was found with a small cling film wrap hidden in her mouth containing three grams of cannabis (street value £10) and three phone memory cards, which she attempted to smuggle into the prison. She claimed peer pressure from her boyfriend. A search of her home revealed additional cannabis items valued at £70. She was arrested and later admitted the offenses.

On August 29, 2025, Tyler Andrews tracked his wife's location via Snapchat while she was out in Cardiff with friends. He bombarded her with messages and calls, threatened to 'end her' and 'drag her out by her hair', threw her clothes out of the house, drove to the Westgate pub where she was, attempted to enter but was stopped by door staff, and threatened to throw a chair through the window. Police arrested him at the scene.

Gareth Humphreys, a 75-year-old former police officer and Ministry of Defence employee from Ashbrook, Brackla, Bridgend, took hundreds of indecent images of a girl under 13, possessing over 5,000 category C images, including 700 unique images and videos of the victim in various states of undress. The images were found on four electronic devices. He refused to delete them despite the victim's request, searched online for 'older men strip young girls', and told the victim not to trust authority figures like police as they would not believe her. The abuse came to light when the victim confided in friends, leading to police involvement.

On July 7, 2025, Jessica Kitley, 32, of Coed Mieri, Tyle Garw, Pontyclun, had been drinking alcohol and called her mother to pick her up. An argument ensued during the journey in Cardiff. Kitley's mother stopped the vehicle, got out with the child, and Kitley began throwing items including a cup and a nappy. Kitley then entered the driver's seat and reversed at speed with the passenger door open, knocking her mother to the ground while holding the child. The mother suffered a cut to her eye and graze to her elbow; the child had reddening to the face and a bruise to the cheek. Both were treated for minor injuries. Kitley was intoxicated with 89 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath (legal limit 35) and uninsured. She also assaulted a police officer by kicking at him on June 29, 2025, at Exeter police station after arrest in Devon.

During the Ely riots in Cardiff on May 22, 2024, following the deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans in a fatal collision, Jordan Bratcher participated in a large-scale riot where police were pelted with missiles including bricks, bottles, fireworks, and petrol bombs. Cars were overturned and set alight amid the chaos described as 'carnage' and 'mayhem'.

During the Ely riots in Cardiff on May 22, 2024, following the deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans in a fatal collision, Jaydan Baston participated in a large-scale riot where police were pelted with missiles including bricks, bottles, fireworks, and petrol bombs. Cars were overturned and set alight amid the chaos described as 'carnage' and 'mayhem'.

During the Ely riots in Cardiff on May 22, 2024, following the deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans in a fatal collision, Lee Robinson participated in a large-scale riot where police were pelted with missiles including bricks, bottles, fireworks, and petrol bombs. Cars were overturned and set alight amid the chaos described as 'carnage' and 'mayhem'.

During the Ely riots in Cardiff on May 22, 2024, following the deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans in a fatal collision, Luke Williams participated in a large-scale riot where police were pelted with missiles including bricks, bottles, fireworks, and petrol bombs. Cars were overturned and set alight amid the chaos described as 'carnage' and 'mayhem'.

During the Ely riots in Cardiff on May 22, 2024, following the deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans in a fatal collision, Connor O'Sullivan participated in a large-scale riot where police were pelted with missiles including bricks, bottles, fireworks, and petrol bombs. Cars were overturned and set alight amid the chaos described as 'carnage' and 'mayhem'.

During the Ely riots in Cardiff on May 22, 2024, following the deaths of teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans in a fatal collision, Zayne Farrugia participated in a large-scale riot where police were pelted with missiles including bricks, bottles, fireworks, and petrol bombs. Cars were overturned and set alight amid the chaos described as 'carnage' and 'mayhem'.

On June 10, 2025, at the Three Saints Hotel in Llantrisant, Christopher Moore, 31, armed himself with a broken bottle after claiming the victim and others mocked his Irish accent (denied by judge). He approached the group asking for a cigarette, then unprovokedly attacked Nathan Cheshire, striking him 10-15 times to the head and arms as he tried to defend himself. The victim suffered wounds to his forehead, cheek, left forearm, both hands, and tricep, requiring 40 stitches. The attack left a permanent visible scar on the forehead, causing physical pain, trauma, and inability to work as a groundworker due to grip issues.

On March 30, 2025, three Staffordshire Bull Terriers owned by Jason Stafford, 49, of Parracombe Crescent, Llanrumney, became dangerously out of control and attacked a mother carrying her six-day-old baby in Cardiff. The dogs latched onto the mother's feet and wrist, dragging her to the floor while she held the baby. One dog's claw caught the baby's head, causing a cut, and the baby was bitten but sustained relatively minor injuries. The attack lasted around 15 minutes. A friend intervened, but the dogs then attacked him, latching onto his left arm and right leg for another 15 minutes. Stafford eventually pacified the dogs. The mother suffered multiple bites requiring surgeries, skin grafts, and tendon repairs. The friend had wounds to his face, chest, legs, and arms, leading to loss of strength, confidence, and mobility issues.

On December 1, 2023, Kabeer Yassen, 43, of Leicester Road, Newport, was driving his white Citroen Dispatch on Leckwith Road, Cardiff, while over the legal alcohol limit (84 micrograms per 100ml breath, later 109 micrograms per 100ml blood) and disqualified from driving. He veered over the white line into the opposite carriageway, colliding head-on with a Ford Kuga driven by David Rodd with passenger Anne Parker. The crash left Mr Rodd with five broken ribs, a floating rib, punctured lung, and bruising, hospitalized for 10 days; Mrs Parker with five broken ribs and subsequent pneumonia, requiring two months living with family. An off-duty officer witnessed the incident and smelled alcohol on Yassen, who appeared dizzy and confused. Yassen failed to attend a police interview and his first court hearing.

Jordan Rosser, 21, of Chaffinch Way, Duffryn, Newport, took part in an attack on Michael Lee outside a Greggs in Newport on February 28, 2025. The incident stemmed from an argument over an underweight drug deal where Rosser and Tomas Hangurbadzo offered to supply cocaine. After the victim confronted them about being ripped off and a window being smashed, a fight ensued. Rosser punched Mr Lee to the back of the head multiple times as part of a joint enterprise. Hangurbadzo then stabbed the victim repeatedly. Rosser returned to the scene, apologised, and fist-bumped the victim before leaving. He was arrested on March 6, 2025, and denied involvement.

On February 4, Colin Dixon, 27, of Church Street, Aberbargoed, was driving a Ford Transit between the Heads of the Valleys Road and Rhymney when police attempted to stop him at traffic lights. He reversed into a police car, causing damage, then manoeuvred onto the pavement, drove through a red light at speed, knocked over traffic cones, reached 70mph in 30mph zones, collided with a road closure sign, turned onto Queens Road through a Give Way sign, and collided with a vehicle driven by a woman with her three children as passengers. None were hurt. Dixon shouted at the woman 'Move your f****** car, the f****** police are chasing me. I'm on the run,' then fled on foot with two passengers. A police helicopter tracked him; he was found hiding in brambles and among pedestrians, then arrested. Drug test showed 11 micrograms of cannabis per litre of blood (limit 2 micrograms). He had only a provisional licence and no insurance.

On September 30, 2025, Luke Rombach, 36, of Waunllwyd, Arfryn, Penywaun, was arrested in The Pandy, Hirwaun, after being seen waving a Rambo knife out of a car window. He had placed an imitation handgun on the roof of a BMW and the knife on the bonnet. While being searched, he launched a racist tirade at a police officer, using slurs including 'n*****', 'P***', and stating 'I f****** hate black people – KKK all the way'. He threatened to kill the officer and his people, to rape the officer's children, and told him to 'get out of our country and go back to Africa'. He banged his head in the police van until bleeding and continued abuse in hospital. CCTV footage captured him shouting the N-word repeatedly.

Anthony Manson, 68, from Tintern in Monmouthshire, met the victim at Glastonbury in 2015 and exploited her vulnerability during her marriage breakdown. After her 2017 divorce settlement of £280,000, he convinced her to buy land and live in a caravan, isolating her from family and friends over six years. He subjected her to physical and psychological abuse, including burning her with a hot fire poker, hitting her head with a walking stick, bashing her leg with an adze, strangling her more than 10 times, forcing her to stand naked outside in winter to pray, covering bruises with a veil, tying her up and attempting to drown her in rainwater, dragging her by the hair, pressing a knife to her throat, and threatening to chop her up and feed her to dogs. He defrauded her of her settlement money. The abuse escalated when she tried to leave, culminating in a violent incident involving strangulation while forcing her to eat.

On November 18, 2025, Andrew Packwood, 41, from Chepstow, performed a u-turn on the M4 near Magor, Gwent, and drove the wrong way into oncoming 70mph traffic in his Ford Focus because he was low on fuel and wanted to reach the services. He led police on a 90-minute pursuit.

Martin Hewings, 51, of no fixed abode, brandished a smashed vodka bottle at Robert Proffitt, a homeless man, in Cardiff city centre on September 7, 2025, after an argument in St Mary Street. Hewings was caught on CCTV smashing the bottle over the victim's head, then used the broken bottle to grind along Mr Proffitt's face and stab him repeatedly in the face, neck, and shoulder in a frenzied attack. The victim suffered deep cuts to his face, neck, and shoulder, as well as fractures to his nose, jaw, and eye socket, and will likely have permanent scarring.

On June 2, 2023, Gareth Hancock, aged 35, entered Yummies takeaway in Tredegar after drinking up to eight pints with colleagues from Ebbw Vale fire station. He racially abused a 16-year-old worker, making remarks such as 'dog fried rice', 'ting tong rice', 'Chinky eyed b******', and 'slinty eyed b******' in front of the victim's 10-year-old brother and customers. He acted aggressively, set off the door alarm, banged on the counter, refused a refund, urinated on the floor, and squared up to another customer. The victim, a former fire cadet, suffered emotional and physical harm, including anxiety.

On September 11, 2025, Aiden Ford, 30, was visiting his mother's home in Cardiff with his partner and a friend, where they had been drinking and taking cocaine. An argument ensued after the victim informed his mother that Ford had attended a police station earlier that day. Ford shouted at the victim to leave the house, grabbed her arm causing a bruise, and attempted to push her out. She escaped to the bathroom and tried to call 999, texting her mother instead. Ford kicked down the bathroom door, took her phone, and strangled her with both hands until she couldn't breathe, leading her to believe she would die. She dug her nails into his hand to make him stop. He also smashed a vase, a cup, and a glass belonging to his mother. Police arrested him after the victim's mother called them. The victim reported ongoing nightmares, anxiety, lack of motivation, and fear of Ford.

Rowan Barnett-Davies, 24, of Hirwaun, catfished young girls online by pretending to be a 15-year-old boy using a photograph of a real teenager. He contacted more than 20 girls as young as 11 across the UK via Snapchat, quickly turning conversations sexual, requesting indecent images and videos of them posing naked or performing sexual acts. He sent photos of his penis, persisted with blocked victims by contacting their mothers and friends, paid victims for images, distributed them to other paedophiles on apps like Telegram, blackmailed victims to send more, offered gifts, used derogatory language, and once asked for images of a 6-year-old sister. Police seized devices on December 21, 2024, finding over 2,000 indecent images. Victims reported betrayal, embarrassment, self-harm, and lasting trauma.

Savas Sayak, 34, of Exeter Street, Newport, joined the confrontation outside the Atalya Kebab shop on August 1, 2025, gesticulating in the street before arming himself with a shiny weapon. He exchanged blows with Mazhar Aksoy, grappled with others, raised his weapon to strike, and struck Mehmet Aksoy during the brawl in Newport city centre, which involved rival kebab shop families using metal poles and sticks, captured on CCTV and resulting in multiple injuries including his own severe head wound.

Murat Aksoy, 28, of Argosy Way, Newport, drove past the Atalya Kebab shop in a grey Mercedes on August 1, 2025, brandishing a weapon out of the passenger window towards the Sayak family. He arrived last at the brawl scene armed, attempted to land blows on Yagmur Sayak, grappled with Firat, struck Savas, and threw a bin towards Savas during the violent disorder in Newport city centre involving metal poles and sticks between rival kebab shop families, resulting in injuries including his own arm wounds.

Yagmur Sayak, 43, of Oliver Road, Newport, emerged from the Antalya Kebab shop armed with a weapon on August 1, 2025, during the gathering of rival families in Commercial Street. He attempted to land blows on Murat Aksoy, grappled with Mazhar Aksoy who struck him on the head, and was held by Mazhar as the groups separated in the violent disorder brawl in Newport city centre involving weapons like shiny objects and poles, resulting in his multiple bleeding head gashes, captured on CCTV.

Burak Aksoy, 25, of Dolomite Close, Newport, arrived last at the scene from Bolt Street armed with a weapon on August 1, 2025, during the escalation outside the Atalya Kebab shop. He became involved in grappling with Firat Sayak and struck Savas Sayak's weapon during the street brawl in Newport city centre between rival kebab shop families using metal poles and sticks, which was captured on CCTV and phone footage, leading to multiple slash and gash wounds among participants.