Conwy: Man electrocuted after truck hit 120,000-volt cables
A man delivering hardcore to a farm was killed when his truck hit high-powered electricity cables, an inquest opening has heard.Andrew Winston Lloyd, 56, from Bod Elian, Llanelian, was delivering a load of hardcore as the base for a shed when the bucket on his truck came into contact with 120,000-volt overhead cables.The inquest in Ruthin heard Mr Lloyd, who ran a family business, climbed down from the cab and was apparently electrocuted when he came into contact with the metal step.He was pronounced dead at the scene in Tan y Dderwen Farm in Betws-yn-Rhos, Conwy on 1 May.
The provisional cause of death given was electrocution. A coroner said extensive enquiries would be carried out and the Health and Safety Executive were investigating the incident.The inquest was adjourned to a date to be fixed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
16 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Women cyclists don't feel safe on West Yorkshire's roads'
Verbal abuse, sexual comments and motorists passing too close in their vehicles have become all too regular features of riding a bike in West Yorkshire, female cyclists have warned. In fact, one rider says the situation on the county's roads is so bad that a lot of women will no longer go cycling "because of safety"."I wouldn't say I feel safe on the road," says Frankie Leveton, from Huddersfield, who gets on her bike up to four times a week. "This war on cyclists is just perpetuating everything and making everything very dangerous for us out there," she Leveton, 30, says the abuse she has personally received while riding in areas such as Holme Moss and Dove Stone Reservoir has included sexualised comments shouted from passing cars."I don't know what their motivation is," she shrugs."Is it because I'm a cyclist and the culture at the moment is that they are the worst people on the road? Or is it because I'm a woman?"It's a testament to how much I love cycling, and how much cycling helps my mental health - that's my relief, my escape - that I'm still willing to go out." But the verbal abuse is not the only problem Ms Leveton has says that last year she reported at least 100 incidents of close passing by drivers to police, with action taken against the drivers involved in 82 of those to the Highway Code, drivers should leave a gap of approximately 5ft (1.5m) when overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph (48 km/h), and they should give cyclists more space when overtaking at higher speeds."If I reported every driver that didn't give me 5ft, I wouldn't have time to ride my bike or go to work," Ms Leveton to West Yorkshire Police, between April 2024 and April 2025, 3,561 close passes of cyclists by vehicles were reviewed by those, action was taken in 2,547 cases, with the driver being eligible for a retraining course, receiving a fixed penalty fine or a court summons. Jillian Egan is also a keen cyclist, but she says the level of abuse she receives on the roads of West Yorkshire "is enough to put you off".Ms Egan, 39, whose regular routes take her around Huddersfield, where she lives, as well as Hebden Bridge and Holmfirth, says: "The other day, I went for a ride and thought, 'I only had one person shout at me today'. "Then I thought to myself, 'Isn't that a ridiculous thing to say?'"Ms Egan says that while there are "probably some cyclists out there that don't abide by the rules of the road", the abuse faced by female cyclists from motorists remains "a big problem".Both Ms Egan and Ms Leveton agree that women are being put off cycling by the abuse riders receive both in person and online."The safety in terms of cars especially is just a barrier for so many women getting into cycling," says Ms Leveton."The comments on Facebook posts about cyclists are quite terrifying."But, despite the abuse and safety concerns, Ms Egan says getting on a bike is still a "great way to get about" and she continues to "love cycling". Judith Brough, who is originally from The Netherlands and has lived in West Yorkshire for almost 30 years, says she experiences "some kind of harrassment" on one out of every three cycle rides."Close passes are really common," she explains."They are scary and, on top of that, you have someone rolling down their window and shouting inappropriate language at you."Ms Brough says incidents have included being followed, comments about her appearance and her body, and being flashed at by the occupants of vehicles."That's scary and not on," she says."If we want to encourage women to cycle more, it's not good enough to say you should cycle with a club or in a group."It should be okay to cycle on your own." West Yorkshire Police told the BBC that all submissions to its online portal for reporting driving offences, known as Operation SNAP, were reviewed by experienced officers.A force spokesperson said: "Where there is evidence of an offence, a notice of intended prosecution/requirement to furnish driver details is sent to the keeper of the vehicle concerned."Changing driver behaviour and attitudes through education was the "preferred option", however more punitive measures could be applied in more serious cases or in instances of repeat offending, they spokesperson added that West Yorkshire Police's JogOn initiative, launched in Bradford to tackle the abuse and harassment of female runners, was being expanded to include all sports - including cycling."Women and girls should be able to take part in sport without the fear of harassment and abuse," they added."We have zero tolerance for this kind of unwanted behaviour." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Miscarriages of justice more likely due to forensic science crisis, report finds
The forensic science sector is in a 'graveyard spiral', according to a parliamentary inquiry that has warned of biased criminal investigations, a rising risk of wrongful convictions, and murder and sexual offence cases collapsing due to missing evidence. The three-year inquiry set up by the all-party parliamentary group on miscarriages of justice has outlined how a series of 'reckless policy decisions' over the past decade have brought forensic science to a point of crisis. A near-monopoly in the commercial sector means there is now a dangerous single point of failure and the increasing reliance on in-house police laboratories risks compromising scientific impartiality, the inquiry found. 'Forensic science in England and Wales as currently configured isn't working for anyone – not for the police, not for the lawyers or for the courts, not for the scientists themselves, and not for the general public who get caught up in the criminal justice system,' said Prof Angela Gallop, co-chair of the Westminster Commission on Forensic Science. 'Like a plane hurtling downwards in what has become known as a 'graveyard spiral', with the pilot in desperation making increasingly erratic decisions, it can only be a short time now before it impacts the ground.' Since the closure of the Forensic Science Service in 2012, work has been divided between commercial providers and, increasingly, in-house police laboratories. However, the inquiry said there were now real concerns about bias due to the expanding types of investigations the police conduct, paired with inadequate legal aid funding for defence experts. The report recommends an immediate halt to the expansion of police in-house forensic provision and, in the long term, removing forensic science provision from police oversight. 'The increased risk of miscarriages of justice is self-evident and the potential for investigative failures leading to further injustices is continuing to grow,' said Gallop. The report also highlights the imminent collapse of the forensics market, which is heading toward a 'last man standing' monopoly after the UK's largest forensics provider, Eurofins, acquired the second largest provider, Cellmark, which was on the brink of insolvency last year. Eurofins now delivers more than 85% of external science provision, the report estimates, a proportion that could rise further, creating the risk of a single point of failure. Another concern raised is the police handling of crucial evidence used to prosecute the most serious crimes, with a growing number of cases dropped due to 'disappearing material' including DNA samples, CCTV footage, weapons, drugs and mobile phone data. Missing evidence was recorded as the reason for 30,552 prosecutions being dropped between October 2020 and September 2024, the report reveals. This included 70 homicides and 554 sexual offences, and represented just over 2% of all prosecutions nationally. The Metropolitan police had 4.6% of cases dropped because of missing evidence. Prof Carole McCartney, a criminologist at the University of Leicester, who helped compile the figures, said: 'The most obvious cause for alarm is that each of these cases is potentially a victim who will never see their perpetrator in court or see their case brought to justice. 'And if we're not retaining evidence, people who are victims of miscarriages of justice can't get out of prison and cold cases will stay unsolved if you lose the evidence. It's a fundamental part of the criminal justice process.' The inquiry adds to continuing criticism of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), after the cases of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit, and Peter Sullivan, whose murder conviction was overturned last month after 38 years. The report describes a culture of 'complacency in respect of a lack of scientific knowledge and understanding' among CCRC staff and recommends the recruitment of permanent staff members with scientific backgrounds. Kim Johnson MP, the chair of the APPG on miscarriages of justice, said the Post Office Horizon scandal and the exonerations of Malkinson and Sullivan highlighted the need for urgent reform of forensic provision. 'These cases are not isolated incidents but symptoms of deep, systemic failings in our criminal justice system,' she said. 'We owe it to victims, their families, and the wider public to demand transparency, accountability, and meaningful reform. We must see the government act on this report without delay to restore trust and prevent future injustices.' A CCRC spokesperson said that in response to an independent review of its handling of the Malkinson case it had taken a number of steps to improve its forensics provision, including training sessions for staff. It said its Forensic Opportunities Programme, announced last year, was analysing pre-2016 convictions to assess whether advances in DNA technology could identify an offender and that it had recently recruited a full-time forensic science and evidence adviser. A government spokesperson said: 'We understand the importance of high-quality, timely forensic evidence for an effective criminal justice system that prevents crime, prosecutes suspects and gives victims the justice they deserve. 'In November 2024 at the NPCC/APCC summit, the home secretary acknowledged that the adoption of forensic science across the board has been uncoordinated. That's why we are appointing a national forensic science lead who will transform our approach by helping to create a new model of delivery with the police and forensic leaders to raise standards and improve efficiency, and ultimately build greater public confidence in our criminal justice system.'
BreakingNews.ie
15 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (26) jailed for sexual assault of a woman in a park in Co Donegal
A young man who sexually assaulted a young woman in a park in Co Donegal after he claimed he "read the wrong signals" has been jailed for three years. Billy Diver appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court after pleading guilty to the sexual assault at Swan Park in Buncrana on the evening of June 24th, 2020. Advertisement Diver, now aged 26, was with another friend when he saw two young women, aged 19, sitting on a bench in the park during what was Covid times. Garda Keith Conlon outlined the incident led by state barrister Ms Fiona Crawford, BL. It was around 8pm and the young women were walking around the park and two young men began chatting to them. The women began walking on and the two young men turned up again. Advertisement Suddenly one of the men grabbed one of the women and "dragged" her into some trees and grabbed her by the backside. The woman then told gardaí how the man then grabbed her right hand and forced it onto his penis. As she broke free the man then touched her vagina over her jeans. The woman said she was scared and moved across the grass area but the young men came over to them again. The same man then put his hand on her thigh and then began to put his hand over her vagina again before he put his hand down the back of her trousers and grabbed her backside. Advertisement The young woman phoned a friend and was crying at this stage but the court was told the young man grabbed her again and was trying to kiss her on the neck and lips despite her consistently asking him to stop. The two men then got into a van but the young woman was able to take a picture of the accused as other people present came to the assistance of the young woman. A mother and daughter who were also in the area also managed to get videos of the men leaving and they told Gardai what they had seen. The two girls approached another couple and asked them to talk to them as they were both very stressed and speaking very quickly. Advertisement This couple contacted gardaí with a description of the van. Gardaí arrived a short time later to find two distressed females who flagged them down and provided them with details of what had happened and a possible name of one of the men. Some time later a man presented himself at Buncrana Garda Station saying he wanted to report an incident of being hassled by people in the park including a mother and daughter who were filming him. That individual turned out to be the accused man. Advertisement When questioned by gardaí about the alleged incident, Diver said the incidents between him and the young woman were consensual, that she had taken his hands, smiled and they went behind a ditch. He said he then noticed that he was being recorded. Diver's clothing was then seized by investigating gardaí and he was then identified at the scene by phone footage. The court was told that Diver is from Derry and that he has no previous criminal convictions. A victim impact statement from the young woman told how her life changed on that day. Simple things like leaving her home causes her great anxiety, she constantly looks over her shoulder fearing she will be attacked again when she once felt safe. She has frequent nightmares reliving her trauma and cannot visit Swan Park again as it brings back so many traumatic moments. She has feelings of depression, shame and self-blame even though she knows it was not her fault and cannot trust others and cannot form new relationships. She also had to take time off work to attend counselling and that was a financial strain while her studies and career progression have also been affected. "It has changed the course of my life and I am scarred for life inside," the young woman said. Barrister for the accused, Mr Peter Nolan, BL, said it was his client's view that there were 'signals' coming from this young lady and that he misinterpreted them. He said the girls had looked over at Diver and his friend and began giggling at them and that he misread the situation and approached the girls. Mr Nolan said his client had never tried to hide or deny anything and that in his full memo of interview. Diver's barrister said he put it that his client had misread the situation and should have been more careful. Addressing his client's background, Mr Nolan said he had left school at 14 as he was not academic but had a full history of employment and works in Northern Ireland as a labourer. The Probation Service had placed him in the moderate to high risk of reoffending, that he has no medical issues and that he is capable of community service and is also willing to comply with the Probation Services. Mr Nolan again reiterated that Diver had 'misread the signals very, very, badly' and that he needs some maturity to his sexual behaviour but is entirely sorry for what he did. Diver took to the witness stand and said he would like to "deeply apologise" to the woman for the offence that happened saying his apology was from "the bottom of my heart." He added that he understood the seriousness of the situation and that he was deeply apologetic. Passing sentence, Judge John Aylmer said this was a "very nasty sexual assault on a young woman in a public park" adding there was "no question of her behaviour to you" and that it was clear that she was being harassed and set upon by Diver. He added that it was clearly a very frightening experience for the young woman noting she still suffers from anxiety and depression for the last four years. Judge Aylmer placed the offence in the mid range of such offences and one which merits a sentence of four years in prison before mitigation. He noted there was a late plea to the charge which was nevertheless valuable in these cases, that he has no previous convictions and that he was a very young man of 20 at the time. He said the Probation Service in Northern Ireland placed him at a moderate to high risk of reoffending because of his minimisation and tendency to victim blame when, the Judge said, "you have absolutely no grounds to blame her for anything, as it is clear that you were the predator preying on her and that was clear to all watching what was going on." He added that he will reduce the sentence to one of three years and that he considered suspending any of that sentence. However, because of the report of the Probation Service and the accused man's minimisation and victim blaming, he was not minded to suspend any portion of that three years sentence. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help.
