Swansea Crown Court Sentencing Results

On October 1, 2024, Jason Scott Maddocks, while under the influence of cocaine (three times over the legal limit and almost nine times over for benzoylecgonine), led police on a high-speed pursuit starting in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Driving a blue Peugeot with a high-risk missing woman as passenger, he reached speeds of 50mph in 20mph zones, drove on the wrong side of the road, and joined the M4 where he exceeded 100mph on the hard shoulder and sped through Leigh Delamere services at over 60mph. The chase ended when he drove into Hullavington airfield, abandoned the vehicle, and fled on foot. Officers found cocaine in the car. The judge noted his absolute disregard for others' safety.

On September 22, 2025, Michael Mathews, aged 56, of Hill Street, North Hill, Swansea, was involved in an argument or discussion with a group of people outside the Matthew Street flats in the Dyfatty area of Swansea. He produced a large carving knife, raised it above his head, and swung it at a woman who moved out of the way. The group continued talking afterwards, and Mathews tucked the knife into his trousers before walking off with them. CCTV operators alerted police, who later identified and chased him on High Street, where he discarded the knife while fleeing and was caught climbing a fence. The woman did not provide a statement and did not support the prosecution. Mathews answered 'no comment' in his police interview. He was suffering from mental health difficulties at the time and apologised to the complainant and the court.

On an unspecified date prior to August 19, 2024, Jordanna Wheeler attended a party, consumed a large amount of alcohol, returned home to her flat on McRitchie Place in the Gendros area of Swansea, and repeatedly beat her large brown Mastiff dog about the head with a saucepan until it died from significant blunt force trauma. She passed out on the sofa and later discovered the dog dead. The saucepan was severely deformed with dog hair on it, indicating the force used. On August 19, 2024, she disclosed the incident to a psychiatric nurse at Neath Port Talbot Hospital while seeking sectioning, showing no remorse. Police searched the flat, found the dog unresponsive on its bed, and arrested her. The property was in a poor state of cleanliness.

On July 26, 2024, Ben Norman rode a motorbike without plates dangerously around Swansea for 90 minutes, weaving through traffic, undertaking cars, doing U-turns, mounting pavements, going the wrong way on roundabouts, riding on the M4 hard shoulder and between lanes, running a red light, and changing clothes in an Asda supermarket to evade detection. The incident was monitored by a police helicopter as part of an operation targeting illegal motorbike use.

Ian Price, 55, of Croeso Square, Blackwood, sole director of Top Class Travel UK, repeatedly removed the tachograph card from his Ford Transit minibus to falsify driving hours and breaks, allowing him to drive more than permitted. This occurred on 24 incidents over three months prior to December 14, 2024, when he was pulled over on Fabian Way in Swansea by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. The company transported passengers on lengthy journeys to airports like Gatwick and Bristol, and places like Liverpool, Newport, and Swansea, often at unsociable hours.

Stephen Elwell, 64, of Aston Crescent, Newport, employed as a driver for Top Class Travel UK, removed the tachograph card from the minibus on six occasions over five months to falsify records of driving activities and breaks. This was uncovered during an investigation following the stop of the company vehicle on December 14, 2024. He undertook challenging airport transfer journeys, including periods waiting at airports or moving the vehicle.

Russell Hasler, a 42-year-old former Dyfed-Powys Police CCTV operator from Llandysul, engaged in coercive and controlling behaviour towards his ex-partner and committed data protection breaches while employed by the police. He was arrested by the Professional Standards Department in October 2023 and quit his position a month later. The victim reported severe emotional, cognitive, and physical impacts from the abuse, including memory lapses, brain fog, intrusive thoughts, and chronic anxiety.

On October 24, 2025, at 11pm, Adam Hopkins led police on a 90-minute pursuit through Swansea in a Mercedes C-class, starting in Cockett and heading towards Fforestfach. He raced through residential areas like Ravenhill, Penlan, Blaenymaes, and Portmead at speeds up to 60mph, rammed police cars, drove on the wrong side of roads, mounted pavements, and briefly became airborne after crashing through a roundabout at Cwm Level Road. Stinger devices deflated all tyres, one detached, but he continued driving, crossing a central reservation to face oncoming traffic on the A4067. He stopped at 12.30am, fled on foot, but was caught. Tested positive for cocaine roadside, found with snap-bags of cocaine, and refused a blood sample. Two officers suffered back and neck pain; their vehicles were damaged and taken out of service. Helicopter used to track him.

Benjamin Charles Deuchars Gray, a 57-year-old teacher at Penyrheol Comprehensive School in Swansea, possessed 4,383 indecent images of children across multiple devices, including 368 Category A images depicting extreme sexual abuse such as the rape of girls as young as two. The images, many of which were visually unique and not previously known to UK law enforcement, were collected over more than a decade since at least 2013 by visiting websites with titles like 'sexy schoolgirls' and 'barely legal'. Devices were seized during a police search of his home in Eastbourne Grove, Sketty, Swansea, on October 2, 2024. The offences do not relate to any pupils at the school.

On October 1, 2024, Wiltshire Police attempted to stop Jason Maddocks' vehicle in the Corsham area due to information suggesting a vulnerable missing person was inside. The vehicle failed to stop, leading to a pursuit through Yatton Keynell, Castle Combe, and Acton Turville areas, then back on the M4 towards Chippenham. Maddocks drove at excess speeds, up to 100mph on the hard shoulder, towards oncoming traffic, and caused extensive damage to multiple vehicles. The pursuit ended at Hullavington Airfield, where Maddocks was arrested on suspicion of multiple offences, and cocaine was found in the vehicle. The missing person was located and taken to safety.

Shaun Hill, in a relationship that turned jealous and paranoid, strangled his partner during a holiday in Majorca, Spain, choking her to the point she could not breathe despite her pleas to stop. The incident was disclosed to a friend, leading to police involvement and Hill's arrest. He denied the allegation in interview but later pleaded guilty.

Darryl Kinnear, 34, from East London, along with Peter Silva, travelled from London to Ceredigion and deliberately started a fire at the Tŷ Nant Water Plant in Bethania at around 10.55pm on 17 June 2025. The arson attack with recklessness as to whether life was endangered caused extensive damage and financial loss exceeding £600,000. The fire could have put lives at serious risk.

Peter Silva, 22, from East London, along with Darryl Kinnear, travelled from London to Ceredigion and deliberately started a fire at the Tŷ Nant Water Plant in Bethania at around 10.55pm on 17 June 2025. The arson attack with recklessness as to whether life was endangered caused extensive damage and financial loss exceeding £600,000. The fire could have put lives at serious risk.

On February 15, 2025, at around 10pm, Aaron Davies, who was disqualified from driving, fell asleep at the wheel twice while driving a blue BMW at 80mph in a 20mph zone in the Loughor area of Swansea. The vehicle crashed into the victim's white Toyota Yaris, sending it across the street and causing extensive damage beyond repair, also damaging her garden wall. A silver Renault owned by another victim was written off in the incident. Davies and his passenger fled the scene. He was identified a month later via a Facebook post by a witness and confirmed by DNA on the driver's side. During police interview, he was abusive.

On March 4, 2025, Leah Hocking entered a McDonald's in Swansea city centre, behaved erratically and abusively, refused to leave, threatened to burn the restaurant, set fire to paper napkins and items on a table using a lighter, spat at walls, shouted and swore at staff who extinguished the fire. She approached a group of youngsters, grabbed a 16-year-old boy's phone, swung a carrier bag at him when he demanded it back, and picked up a chair. She struggled with arresting officers and kicked out. Police retrieved the phone. Earlier that morning, she blocked the doorway of Basekamp coffee shop, ranted at staff, and spat on the door.

Rodolfa Galvao, a 49-year-old married man from Yate near Bristol, groomed what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl online via a decoy Facebook profile operated by the paedophile hunter group Dank Dragon. He exchanged messages on WhatsApp, dismissed her age by saying 'age is just a number', discussed massages, and booked a hotel room in Mumbles, Swansea, stocking it with alcohol (alcopops, tequila, Champagne), condoms, lubricant, sex toys, and a Kama Sutra book. On July 21, 2025, he arrived at a tenpin bowling alley in Swansea for the meeting carrying a single rose and Dairy Milk chocolate, where he was confronted by the group and arrested.

Ilya Bass first met the victim in 2013 while she was on a nursing placement at HMP Swansea and he was an inmate. He became obsessed with her, frequently following her at a pub in Gorseinon, calling her 'baby girl', sending her a Valentine's Day card and flowers in 2024 despite not knowing her address, which he discovered by searching for her car. He continued contacting her from withheld numbers even after she blocked him, and tracked her to her new home in April 2025. This led to her feeling seriously concerned and avoiding her usual areas. Bass was arrested in July 2025, and his phone contained evidence of his actions.

Jolanta Motiejuniene was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van while conducting charity collections in Waun Burgess, Carmarthen on 20 February 2023, when she collided with a four-year-old girl on a balance bike around 11am, resulting in the child sustaining life-threatening injuries from which she is still recovering.