Swansea Crown Court Sentencing Results

Dean Pellington was arrested on May 29, 2024, for an unrelated matter, during which police seized his devices and discovered over 200 images of extreme pornography. These included indecent images of children, such as those involving girls aged 8 and 12, and images of animals, with two images being Category A. He initially denied any sexual interest and claimed the images were sent via a group, but the judge found this unconvincing.

On February 8, 2025, Shone Bell entered his father's home in Llanelli, threatened to kill him by saying, 'I’m actually going to kill you tonight,' and held him hostage while threatening to use a glass to cut his throat. He also racially abused a Polish police officer during his arrest and spat in the police vehicle approximately 20 times. The defendant has a history of violence, including a prior conviction for battery against his father, and 28 convictions for 54 offences involving violence, dishonesty, and drugs.

Frank Standring contacted a decoy profile on Facebook in May 2022, believing it to be a 13-year-old girl. He engaged in extensive inappropriate chats, lied about his location, sent images of his erect penis, asked if she would perform sex acts, expressed that he loved her regardless of her age, and arranged to meet her. He also advised her to block another man, calling him a 'nonce' and a 'dirty paedo'. This led to his confrontation by the paedophile hunter group at a church in Carmarthen where he was working, and his eventual arrest after initially denying knowledge of her age.

Ryan Cottle, originally from Carmarthen and now of Morriston, Swansea, contacted a decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl on social media and WhatsApp between February 8, 2024, and January 13, 2025. He steered conversations towards sexual topics, discussing his fetishes for nylon tights, stockings, and sexual acts involving feet. He asked if she wore tights, requested pictures of her feet and stockinged toes, and sent a picture of himself bare-chested. The decoy account notified police, leading to his arrest on January 15, 2025.

Dafydd Rutherford shook his infant baby three or four times out of frustration while the mother was out for about 30 minutes, causing four bleeds on the brain, blood trickling down the spine, and lasting medical complications. The incident occurred in the afternoon, around 5pm or 6pm, when the baby was a few weeks old, leading to immediate hospitalisation, intensive care, and ongoing health issues including missed developmental milestones and the need for supervision.

Kiron Chand, a registered sex offender due to a 2009 rape conviction, failed to notify police about obtaining a passport in 2017, opening two bank accounts with Monzo and Revolut, and traveling to India in February using an alias. He also previously denied owning a passport when questioned about travel to France in 2018. This involved breaching his sex offender notification requirements, which mandate advance notice of overseas travel and disclosure of passports and bank accounts.

Ian Rimmer breached his indefinite sexual harm prevention order by failing to disclose a Samsung Galaxy phone during a police check and deleting 33 videos and 289 images, some with file names related to children's television programmes. The deletions occurred in February 2025, despite his claims of not seeing the phone since Christmas. He has a long history of offences involving child sex abuse images, including prior convictions in 2008, 2010, 2018, and 2023.

Dean Williams, aged 57, lived in a flat in the Sandfields area of Port Talbot and had an ongoing dispute with his neighbour over loud music. On April 21, 2025, the victim could not sleep due to the noise and complained the next day. On the evening of April 22, 2025, Williams, apparently under the influence of alcohol or another substance, shouted threats and smashed his neighbour's front door with an axe, demanding the victim come out. The victim was terrified and believed he might be attacked or killed. Police arrested Williams at his flat, where he was still holding the axe, and the damage to the property was estimated at £400 to £500.

On June 12, 2025, Christopher Ready entered the Farm Foods store in Swansea's Parc Tawe retail park, placed 13 steaks worth approximately £70 into his bag, and left without paying. He was identified by police, arrested on June 23, 2025, and admitted to the offence, stating he had no funds and needed to eat. This incident is part of a pattern of repeated shoplifting offences, with prior convictions including thefts of protein powder, washing detergent, ham, bacon, and trainers in earlier 2025 incidents.

Joshua Hearn, after his five-year relationship ended on April 9, 2025, bombarded his ex-partner with hundreds of messages, calls, and emails from various numbers and accounts, including threats to be her 'worst nightmare' and statements like 'I will f****** ruin you'. He contacted her workplace, pretending to be her brother to report a family emergency, then appeared at the Llansamlet supermarket, followed her around the aisles, and threatened to get her sacked. This conduct caused her significant distress, leading to changes in her routines, installation of CCTV, and seeking counselling.

Daryl Lawton, while on licence from a previous sentence for possession of indecent images, downloaded 3,937 pseudo-images of children, including computer-generated images of boys as young as five being raped by adult men. He also conducted sinister internet searches related to child rape and phrases like 'no to age of consent'. This occurred in 2024, shortly after his release in February. Police seized his laptop during a home visit, and he was arrested. Lawton admitted responsibility and cited his autism as compelling him to categorise the material.

Jordan Hayes loitered outside public toilets on Aberavon seafront in April 2025, watching people enter and leave before following lone boys inside. He occupied the adjacent cubicle and angled his phone under the partition wall to film the boys using the facilities. The incidents were reported after a seven-year-old victim disclosed seeing the phone, leading to his identification via CCTV and his car. Police seized his phone, which contained videos of two boys, one aged seven and another around 10 years old, as well as related searches and images, though no charges were brought for the latter.

Dean John, a 55-year-old former firefighter, pulled out of a minor road onto the A477 near Red Roses on August 25, 2024, directly into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist, causing a collision with his Kia Niro car. The motorcyclist was thrown from his machine and sustained severe injuries, including a bleed on the brain, a fractured pelvis, and fractured wrists. The road conditions were dry, and the incident was attributed to John's failure to judge the speed and path of the bike correctly.

Anthony Dean Merriman falsely accused his friend of an armed robbery as an act of revenge. He claimed he was threatened with a screwdriver, had items stolen, and was assaulted, leading to a police investigation. Merriman provided detailed false statements, including lying about washing his face with bleach to avoid DNA swabs and later claiming a brain injury. This resulted in the victim spending 14 hours in custody and consumed at least 45 hours of police resources. The victim died before providing a victim impact statement.

James Thomas, in his mid-20s at the time, groomed and sexually abused a schoolgirl in 2012 and 2013 at the garage in Morriston where he worked. He initiated sexual activity with the child through texting and abuse that occurred when the business owner was absent. On one occasion, the victim spent the night in the garage after lying to her mother about a sleepover, and later waited at a McDonald's restaurant. The victim reported the abuse in 2023 after seeking advice online, stating that Thomas had been sexually aggressive and had given her items like cigarettes. The abuse left her feeling lonely, isolated, and unworthy, leading to issues with substance use and emotional struggles.

Gareth Davies, 64, contacted a decoy Facebook profile posing as a 14-year-old girl in November 2024, sending messages complimenting her appearance, inquiring about her sexual experiences, and sharing a video of himself singing the Coldplay song 'Yellow'. He discussed meeting her in Yorkshire and referred to himself as her 'cyber uncle'. Members of a paedophile hunter group identified and confronted him at his boat in Swansea Marina on December 12, 2024, leading to his arrest. He has prior convictions for stalking and harassment.

Evan Powell entered three homes in the Brynmill area of Swansea during the early hours of 31 October 2024. In the first property, a woman woke at about 5am to find him standing in her bedroom before he went downstairs and left; she then discovered he had also been into her child's bedroom and searched drawers. About an hour later he entered a second property nearby, where the occupant woke to find him standing over her with his genitals exposed. He was chased from the house. Powell also entered a third property, waking the occupant by opening the bedroom door, then ran out. Police enquiries established he had tried to enter a fourth property but was unsuccessful.

Aleksander Cela was found in a disused restaurant in Swansea that had been converted into a commercial-scale cannabis farm with 903 plants worth up to £395,000. He had paid people smugglers to enter the UK illegally and was in debt to them. He was living in the premises and tending the plants, which included watering them, prior to a police raid on May 8, 2025. The operation involved sophisticated growing equipment across multiple floors.

Dennis Horeshka was found in a disused restaurant in Swansea that had been turned into a cannabis farm with 903 plants valued at up to £395,000. He had paid smugglers to enter the UK and was working to repay his debt by tending the plants. The police raid occurred on May 8, 2025, and the operation included growing equipment across the premises, with a hole knocked through to a neighbouring property.

On May 2, 2024, Mathew George Jones assaulted his 62-year-old neighbour in Penydre Road, Clydach, after involving himself in a dispute that was not his concern. He shouted abuse, grabbed the victim by the throat, took him to the ground, and repeatedly punched him in the head with considerable force, causing a broken nose, fractured eye socket, and a seven-centimetre gash on the forehead that required 17 stitches. The victim, who had undergone heart surgery months earlier, was left bleeding heavily, and neighbours failed to assist. Jones later gave a false account to police and the victim suffered ongoing anxiety, vision issues, and had to relocate from his home of 32 years.

On January 20, 2025, Lee Lock drove a VW Golf erratically, swerving across the road, clipping a kerb, and remaining stationary at green lights. He was seen staggering at a garage forecourt. Later, he lost control on a roundabout, causing a head-on crash into a van, which left the other driver trapped and injured. Additionally, a bladed article was found in his vehicle during a prior investigation in June 2024.