Haverfordwest paddleboard trip organiser was sacked as cop
A paddleboard operator who organised a Pembrokeshire river excursion where four people drowned was previously sacked as a police officer for fraud.
Nerys Bethan Lloyd, 39, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison last week for her role in the incident on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest in October 2021.
Despite weather warnings and 'extremely hazardous conditions,' Lloyd failed to warn the group about a dangerous weir with a 1.3m drop along the route.
Paul O'Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40, all died after being swept over the weir and trapped under the fast-moving water.
Following her sentencing, South Wales Police revealed details of a misconduct hearing that led to Lloyd's dismissal as an officer in 2022.
She was found guilty of claiming £577.55 to cover a car repair that cost only around £16 to £20.
Lloyd admitted her wrongdoing, apologised, and repaid the amount in full, stating it was an error of judgment.
She was interviewed under caution on October 11, 2021, two weeks before the paddleboarding incident, and accepted a formal caution for the criminal offence of fraud by false representation.
Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said: "It is entirely unacceptable for police officers, who are responsible for enforcing the law, to break the law themselves."
After the river incident, Lloyd attempted to blame Mr O'Dwyer, who helped act as an instructor on the trip.
Speaking outside the court, Theresa Hall, the mother of Morgan Rogers, said she lost her 'best friend' and could 'never forgive' Lloyd.
Darren Wheatley, Ms Wheatley's husband, said the loss of his wife was due to Lloyd and no one else.
Ceri O'Dwyer, who was one of the people on the tour, described her husband, Paul, as the 'kindest man' but admitted he made a 'catastrophic error of judgment.'
David Elias KC, for the defence, read a quote from Lloyd: "I take full blame (for the incident) that meant four extremely special individuals are not here today.
"The pain for me has been unbearable but the pain for the families unmeasurable.
"There were nine people on the river that day and every one of them is a victim."
Lloyd, from Aberavon, was the owner and sole director of Salty Dog Co Ltd, which organised the tour.
She pleaded guilty to four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Mrs Justice Dame Mary Stacey told the court that the four people who died had been 'cut off in their prime, with so much to live for and look forward to.'
She told Lloyd: "There was no safety briefing beforehand.
"None of the participants had the right type of leash for their board, and you didn't have any next of kin details.
"No consent forms were obtained.
"There had been no mention to the group of a weir on the river and how to deal with it and no discussion of the tidal river conditions whatsoever."
The judge said there were Met Office weather warnings at that time, as well as a flood alert in place through Natural Resources Wales.
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