New Chairman appointed at Pembrokeshire County Council
A CARMARTHENSHIRE man who raped and sexually abused two children, will spend the next 12 years behind bars, thanks to the courage of his victims.
Lloyd Davies, 29, of Caecoed, Llandybie, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Swansea Crown Court today (Friday, May 9, 2025).
His victims, both girls, were aged between six and 11 years old at the time of the offences.
One of Davies' victims bravely came forward after confiding in a friend and subsequently a counsellor in her college, before reporting the crimes to the police in December 2022.
The court heard that Davies first raped her while they played the computer game, Minecraft, when she was still in primary school. The significance of the computer game and accounts provided by both victim and suspect proved invaluable in the court proceedings, providing additional strength and credibility to the victims' allegations in court, which led to a unanimous guilty verdict.
The victim suffered four further incidents of sexual abuse and rape by Davies. She admitted that it had impacted her childhood and that her anxiety stemmed from years of abuse and concealing the truth.
Following Davies' arrest, a second victim came forward to the police. She said that she had been sexually abused by him when she was around nine years old.
A police investigation was carried out by Dyfed-Powys Police which resulted in Lloyd Davies being found guilty of three counts of raping a child under 13, two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault on a child under 13 and making a category A indecent image of a child, when he appeared before Swansea Crown Court on March 26, 2025.
Speaking after Davies' sentencing, Detective Sergeant Carl Pocock of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: 'This case is an important reminder that justice can still be served years after any abuse. I can assure any victim contemplating whether or not to come forward that a delay in reporting does not mean you will not be listened to or believed.
'Our specialist officers will listen and support you through the process, no matter how long ago the crime may have taken place. I hope this outcome demonstrates that it is never too late to speak out.
'A comprehensive police investigation by Detective Constable Katie Rees resulted in a number of charges being authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service. DC Rees provided expert support for the victims and their families throughout the investigation, providing them with the confidence to proceed and provide evidence in court.
'Most importantly, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the two victims in this case, who have been extremely courageous in coming forward to police and recounting the trauma they suffered as young children.
'They have showed immense strength, character and resilience and should be proud of how they have conducted themselves throughout the investigation.
'It is thanks to their bravery that Lloyd Davies will now spend a significant spell in prison, making our communities a safer place. I hope today's sentence will give some sense of closure and they can now try and move on with their lives.'
The victims of this case wish to thank the police for the amazing support received throughout the process and would encourage others to come forward, reassuring victims that if they find the strength to come forward and talk, they will be listened to.
If you need support for rape or sexual offence, you can find help and support here: Support after rape and sexual assault | Dyfed-Powys PoliceTo report a rape or sexual offence, visit our website here: Report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | Dyfed-Powys Police
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
10 hours ago
- Telegraph
Koran burner told of imminent terror threat to his life
An asylum seeker who burnt the Koran has received a police warning of an imminent terror plot to murder him, The Telegraph understands. Hamit Coskun was woken by officers acting on behalf of the Metropolitan Police at 2am on Saturday, who told him of 'an imminent threat', his lawyers said. The officers, who were from another force at a location where Coskun is in hiding, are understood to have read out what is known as an Osman warning. The 50-year-old was last week convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence, after shouting 'f--- Islam' and 'Islam is religion of terrorism' while setting fire to the religious text above his head during a protest on Feb 13. His supporters have accused the Met Police and Crown Prosecution Service of putting his life in danger by pursuing a prosecution against him. The court heard that Coskun, who was living in Derby and had to move to a safe house after a video of the incident was posted online, had been forced to leave his home country of Turkey two and a half years ago to escape persecution. In a letter to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, on behalf of Coskun, Lord Young of Acton, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, stated: 'We consider that the risk to Mr Coskun's life was caused, in part, by the actions of your officers and the CPS. Danger from 'Islamic extremists' 'Your force had repeatedly suggested publicly that Mr Coskun had offended the 'religious institution of Islam'. Doing so has increased the risk to Mr Coskun from Islamic extremists.' Police are obliged to issue an Osman warning when there is intelligence of the threat, but there is not enough evidence to justify the police arresting the potential murderer. A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'There remains an ongoing police investigation in relation to allegations of threats to kill against a 50-year-old male. Given the investigation is ongoing, we won't be able to comment further at this stage.' Coskun was prosecuted under the Public Order Act after burning a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish Consulate in Knightsbridge. Critics of the decision to prosecute him accused British courts of reviving blasphemy laws by the back door in pursuing his prosecution. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said: 'This decision is wrong. It revives a blasphemy law that parliament repealed. 'Free speech is under threat. I have no confidence in two-tier Keir to defend the rights of the public to criticise all religions.' 'De facto blasphemy laws' Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch added on social media: 'De facto blasphemy laws will set this country on the road to ruin. This case should go to appeal. Freedom of belief and freedom not to believe are inalienable rights in Britain. 'I'll defend those rights to my dying day.' Blasphemy laws were abolished in the UK 17 years ago. In a statement after the verdict, Coskun said the decision was 'an assault on free speech' that would deter others from exercising their democratic right to protest. He added: 'As an activist, I will continue to campaign against the threat of Islam. 'Christian blasphemy laws were repealed in this country more than 15 years ago, and it cannot be right to prosecute someone for blaspheming against Islam. 'Would I have been prosecuted if I'd set fire to a copy of the Bible outside Westminster Abbey? I doubt it.' He has pledged to continue burning Korans and intends to go on a tour of the UK, visiting Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow, where he will set fire to the holy book. It is unclear if he will resist doing so until the case is heard at appeal - should he be able to challenge the verdict against him in a higher court. The CPS said that Coskun was not being prosecuted for burning the book. They argued it was the combination of his derogatory remarks about Islam and the fact that it was done in public that made it an offence. The CPS originally charged Coskun, who is an atheist, with harassing the 'religious institution of Islam'. CPS charge amended However, the charge was later amended after free speech campaigners took up his cause and argued he was essentially being accused of blasphemy. Katy Thorne KC, Coskun's barrister, had argued that his actions were not motivated by hostility towards the followers of Islam, but the religion itself. District Judge John McGarva, however, said he did not accept that argument. Giving his verdict, Judge McGarva said: 'Your actions in burning the Koran where you did were highly provocative, and your actions were accompanied by bad language in some cases directed toward the religion and were motivated at least in part by hatred of followers of the religion.' The judge ordered Coskun, who is currently claiming asylum, to pay a fine of £240. A man has admitted assaulting Coskun during his demonstration outside the Turkish Embassy, but has denied using a knife in the attack. The man, whose identity is subject to reporting restrictions, is due to go on trial in 2027.
Telegraph
21 hours ago
- Telegraph
Pro-Palestinian protester in two-tier police row is Islamist refugee
A pro-Palestinian activist who evaded terror charges in a two-tier policing row is an Islamist propagandist granted asylum in Britain, The Telegraph can reveal. The demonstrator, who avoided prosecution after chanting ' I love the 7th of October ' at a London rally last year, can now be named as Mohammad al-Mail, a 27-year-old Kuwaiti national granted refugee status in the UK in 2017. In May, The Telegraph published footage of Mr Mail glorifying the Hamas massacre and shouting, 'I like an organisation that starts with H' through a megaphone at an anti-Israel protest in Swiss Cottage, north-west London, last September. He was later arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences but never charged. By contrast, a Jewish man who attended a counter-protest on the same day and briefly held a placard mocking Hezbollah's leader was charged after police claimed the sign could cause 'distress' to terrorist sympathisers. It took eight months for the Crown Prosecution Service to admit there was insufficient evidence to prosecute. The Telegraph can now reveal that Mr Mail claimed he avoided prosecution by telling counter-terrorism officers that the 'H' in his chant stood for the Home Office, rather than Hamas. In footage obtained by The Telegraph – which police confirmed they had not seen – Mr Mail appears to boast of misleading investigators. In an Arabic-language podcast aired in March, he said the case 'fell apart' after he gave what appeared to be a knowingly false answer when asked: 'Who do you mean by the letter H?' He said: 'Immediately, I answered, 'It could be the Home Office', you know, the ministry of the interior. 'I love the ministry of the interior', and so on. 'Truly, as the saying goes, 'The worst calamity is the one that makes you laugh'', he joked, adding that officers 'wanted to delve into the depths of my conscience to know what I truly believe'. The Metropolitan Police twice referred his case to the CPS but he was never charged. A source familiar with the case said prosecutors declined to bring charges, fearing it would be 'speculation' to infer support for a proscribed group from his chant. The Telegraph can also reveal that Mr Mail's support for terror groups was not limited to the Sept 20 protest. Since being granted asylum, he has used the Upper Hand Organisation, his campaign group, to promote an Islamist ideology fundamentally at odds with British democratic values. In the same podcast, he urged supporters to 'seize opportunities' created by the October 7 attack – the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. 'Not every day is like October 7,' he said. 'If an opportunity arises, we must fully exploit it. If you strike, make it hurt.' His website hosts a string of Islamist manifestos and incendiary texts. He has criticised Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and HTS, the Syrian group, for being too pragmatic and failing to advance global jihad. He wrote that such groups have 'ultimately succumbed to the international system and failed to bring about significant change to the concept of jihad itself – jihad, which is understood as a struggle to establish Sharia on earth'. Mr Mail has promoted the jihadist cause online and distributed leaflets and stickers at protests. On Aug 17 2024, the Upper Hand Organisation issued a pamphlet titled Wake Up! Protect the Honour of Islam, which portrayed the Israel-Palestine conflict as a 'war of faith'. It glorifies jihad, urges mobilisation, and repeats the slogan 'a new Khaybar awaits' – a phrase often used to incite violence against Jews. The document claims his group is 'committed to channelling resources toward strategic projects to achieve Islamic dominance'. On Nov 11 2024, Mr Mail announced he would surrender to police over his chants but told supporters to 'continue the path of jihad'. He described peaceful Muslims as 'slaves and dwarves' and issued a warning to Britain: 'What is coming to you is terrifying – either our annihilation or yours.' In recent months, he has used his platform to lobby Parliament to de-proscribe Hamas and divert taxpayer funds to sharia courts. He also opposes the banning of child marriage, arguing it discriminates against 16 and 17-year-old Muslim girls. In a statement to The Telegraph, the Met said it was unaware of Mr Mail's apparent admission and record of Islamist advocacy until contacted by this newspaper. A spokesman said the force 'does not believe the material provided to us was known to officers at the time of their initial investigation. It did not form part of the case put to the CPS'. 'Officers will carefully review it to identify any offences so the appropriate action can be taken.' The case has been condemned as an example of two-tier policing, deepening embarrassment for Scotland Yard and raising concerns over national security among senior politicians and extremism experts. On Friday evening, Chris Philp, the shadow policing minister, said that, in light of The Telegraph's latest revelations, 'the police must urgently re-investigate the incident with a view to re-arresting the man concerned'. He added: 'I am deeply worried that someone came here, was granted asylum and then abused the UK's generosity by expressing extremist views. This is why our human rights and asylum laws need to be changed.' His comments were echoed by Lord Walney, the Government's former extremism tsar, who described the latest evidence uncovered by this newspaper as 'disturbing and raises serious questions for the Metropolitan Police'. 'The fact officers were apparently unaware of this open source material when they submitted the case to the Crown Prosecution Service suggests an alarming lack of rigour in their initial investigation,' he said. 'In light of this, it is vital that the police reopen the case to ensure national security can be protected.' The Jewish counter-protester, who was charged for 'causing distress', said the revelations were yet more evidence of 'two-tier policing'. The CPS dropped the case against him last month, eight months after he was first arrested. 'The police were sufficiently well-resourced to know I'd be at the counter-protest the following week and to circulate my photograph among officers on the ground so they could arrest me. Yet counter-terror police were apparently unable to carry out a basic Google search on this man before interviewing him,' he said. The CPS said it is urgently reviewing its decision not to press charges against Mr Mail. The Upper Hand Organisation, which he founded in 2012, was already active in Kuwait when Mr Mail arrived in Britain. During his studies, he was convicted in absentia of 13 offences by the Gulf state, including defaming the Emir and spreading subversive ideas, receiving a combined sentence of 53 years. He said these were politically and religiously motivated and was granted asylum in the UK on May 5 2017. He later received a partial pardon but remains in the UK. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Supporting a proscribed organisation is a serious criminal offence. The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including determining whether an offence has been committed or not, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, who are operationally independent. 'It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases.'
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Monster paedophile banned from multiple parks, housing estates and streets until 2045
Monster paedophile banned from multiple parks, housing estates and streets until 2045 Steven Loveridge mapped the movements of young girls and used dice and playing cards to play a warped game of chance to determine his victims and the kind of offending he would carry out Steven Loveridge (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police ) A sexual predator who carried out detailed surveillance on children has been hit with a court order banning him from entering named parks, rugby and football clubs, housing estates, streets and footpaths, and going within 100 metres of any school. Steven Loveridge mapped the movements and habits of young girls and researched the best spots from which to watch them as well as plotting "escapes routes" he could use which avoided CCTV coverage. He also used dice and playing cards to play a "warped" game of chance to determine his victims and the kind of offending he would carry out. Last month the 60-year-old was given an extended sentence as a dangerous offender at Swansea Crown Court. Following the sentence police described Loveridge as a "monster". Now, Loveridge has been made the subject of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which is designed to control his behaviour once he is released from custody. Under the order the defendant is prohibited from loitering within 100 metres of any school, nursery or playgroup and is banned from entering Blackpill in Swansea, Victoria Gardens in Neath town centre, Gorsedd Park in Ystradgynlais, Gwynfryn Park in Alltwen, and Ystrad Fawr Nature Reserve in Ystradgynlais. He is also banned from entering or loitering around Ystradgynlais Sports Centre and Penrhos playing fields in Ystradgynlais as well as Trebanos, Alltwen, and Ystalyfera rugby clubs and Pontardawe Town, Cwm Wanderers, and Ystradgynlais football clubs. Article continues below Loveridge is also banned from entering multiple residential streets and housing estates around Ystradgynlais, Ystalyfera, and Ynysmeudwy including Tawe Park, Glantawe Park, Gurnos, and the estate off Hodgson's Road, as well as from using a section of Cycle Route 43 around Ystalyfera. He is also banned from the seafront on Mumbles Road, Swansea, unless he is only passing through and does not stop, and is banned from loitering at any bus stop unless he is catching a bus. The order also imposes a series of restrictions and controls on the defendant's use of electronic devices and the internet, and bans him from entering and staying in any property where an under-18 lives without written approval from social services and from having contact with under-18s - save what is "inadvertent and not reasonably avoidable in the course of lawful daily life" - unless he his supervised by a parent who has knowledge of his conviction. The order will run until June, 2045. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter The extent of Loveridge's interest in children came to light after he was arrested for approaching young girls in shops in the Swansea Valley and exposing himself and making sexual comments. On arrest he was found to be carrying coloured dice and modified playing cards which it emerged were part of a "warped" game of chance he used to determine his victims. You can read the details of the case here A subsequent search of his home in Cyfyng Road in Ystalyfera uncovered maps and documents showing his detailed research of the movements of girls - many of whom he had assigned names to such as "Ponty Lollipop Girl" and "My Little Pony Girl" - including the routes they took to school and shops or parks they attended. Officers also uncovered videos of children he had taken with a camera on his cycle helmet and detailed notes where he recorded interactions he had had with girls in shops and other locations. Loveridge was given an extended 12 year and seven month sentence comprising six years and seven months in prison followed by an extended licence of six years. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. Article continues below Speaking after the sentencing, the officer in the case, Dyfed-Powys Police detective constable Andy Leonard, said: "The handwritten notes and audio recordings made by Steven Loveridge himself suggest that the offences he committed against the young girls in Ystradgynlais and Ystalyfera are just a glimpse of what this monster could be capable of.
