Latest news with #CardiffMagistrates'Court
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Four in court from Newport, Caerphilly and Rhymney
The four defendants were accused of shoplifting, drug-driving, and using a phone at the wheel. Their cases were heard at Newport Magistrates' Court and Cardiff Magistrates' Court. Here's a round-up of the cases. Jason Thomas, 37, of Ty Coch in Rhymney, admitted shoplifting and criminal damage. Thomas was alleged to have stolen £290 of goods from Victoria Garden Centre in Tredegar on November 28. He was also accused of damaging fencing at the garden centre. Thomas pleaded guilty to both offences at Newport Magistrates' Court on July 8. The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. Thomas was granted bail and will return to court on July 30. Ronald Connors, 50, of Rembrandt Way in Newport, has pleaded guilty to using a phone whilst driving. Connors was behind the wheel of a Nissan Qashqai on Rembrandt Way on July 25 when he was caught using his mobile phone. The defendant switched his plea to guilty at Newport Magistrates' Court on July 8. The case was adjourned, and Connors will be sentenced on July 30. Rachel Wiegold, 54, of High Street in Abertridwr, went equipped with a de-tagger to McArthur Glen Outlet Village and stole from two shops. Wiegold was accused of shoplifting £439-worth of items from Cosmetic Co. and clothing valued at £131.98 from Sports Direct on March 27. She was also charged with going equipped for theft – relating to taking the de-tagger to the shops. She pleaded guilty to each of the charges, and the case came before Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 8. The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared, and she will return to be sentenced on July 23. Wiegold was granted bail, and has been banned from entering McArthur Glen. Craig Roberts, 37, of Chaffinch Way in the Duffryn area of Newport, has pleaded guilty to driving whilst under the influence of drugs. Roberts was driving Volkswagen Golf on the M4 between junctions 32 and 30 at Cardiff on January 19. When tested, he recorded having more than 240 micrograms of benzoylecgonine – the main metabolite of cocaine – per litre (µg/L) of blood and 5.7µg/L of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. The legal limits are 50µg/L and 2µg/L respectively. Roberts pleaded guilty to two charges of drug-driving at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 8. The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to prepared, and Roberts was hit with an interim driving ban. The defendant was granted bail and will return to court to be sentenced on August 5.
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Three men appear in court from Cwmbran and Caerphilly
The three men were accused of drug-driving, speeding, and being threatening and abusive. Their cases were heard at Cardiff Magistrates' Court. Here's a round-up of the cases. Daniel Drury, 43, of Marlborough Road in Cwmbran, was drug-driving just days after being clocked speeding on the motorway. Drury was caught doing 72mph in the 50mph average speed limit on the westbound M4 at Newport between junctions 27 and 28 in a Citroen C4 on December 8. He was then caught drug-driving in a Renault Clio on Tyn-Y-Parc Road in the Whitchurch area of Cardiff on December 11. When tested, he recorded having 212 micrograms of benzoylecgonine – the main metabolite of cocaine – per litre (µg/L) of blood. The legal limit – to exclude accidental exposure – is 50µg/L. He admitted both offences, and was sentenced to a six-month community order at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 15. Drury was banned from driving for three years and was made the subject of a six-month curfew between 8pm and 6am. He must also pay £85 in costs. Nathan Edwards, 35, of no fixed abode, threatened another man at a hospital. Edwards was charged with using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour towards a man in Cardiff on May 18 with the intention of causing him fear of or provoking unlawful violence. The defendant, previously of Caerphilly, pleaded guilty, and was jailed for six weeks at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 10. The court determined that the offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified, and it was aggravated by it taking place in a hospital. He must also pay £85 in costs and a £154 surcharge. Gareth Silcocks, 41, of William Street in Fleur-De-Lis, was uninsured when he was drug-driving. Silcocks was behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Eclipse on Hood Road in Barry on December 18 last year. When tested, he recorded having 3.5µg/L of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in his blood. The legal limit is 2µg/L. Checks also revealed that Silcocks was uninsured at the time. He pleaded guilty to both offences at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 15. Silcocks was disqualified from driving for 12 months, and must pay a £465 fine, £85 in costs, and a £186 surcharge.
South Wales Argus
7 days ago
- South Wales Argus
In court from Newport, Caerphilly, Nantyglo and Cardiff
The four defendants were accused of having a knife, speeding, shoplifting, and refusing to identify a driver for police. Their cases were heard at Cwmbran Magistrates' Court and Cardiff Magistrates' Court. Here's a round-up of the cases. Chad Robinson-Bishop, 20, of School Avenue in Nantyglo, has been fined after admitting speeding in Cardiff. Robinson-Bishop was driving a Volkswagen Golf at 39mph on the 30mph Newport Road at Rumney Hill on October 21. He pleaded guilty, and was ordered to pay a £100 fine and a £40 surcharge at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 7. Robinson-Bishop also had three points added to his licence. A 16-YEAR-OLD from Caerphilly, who cannot be named due to their age, was found with a knife in the town centre. The teenager was caught in possession of a knife on Castle Court on August 21 last year. They pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to a six-month Youth Referral Order at Cwmbran Magistrates' Court on July 8. The teenager must also pay £85 in costs and a £26 surcharge, and a deprivation order was made for the knife. Severan Betuma, 38, of Adamscroft Place in Adamsdown, Cardiff, was found to have twice refused to identify a van driver in the Gwent region when required by police. Betuma was charged with two offences of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle when required on July 1 and 10 last year. The charges related to the identity of the driver of a Ford Transit who was suspected by Gwent Police of committing motoring offences. The offences had been proved using the single justice procedure on March 18. The case came back to Cwmbran Magistrates' Court on July 8, and Betuma was ordered to pay a £660 fine and costs of £90 for each offence. The defendant also received six points for each offence, and was then banned for accumulating too many points. A 13-YEAR-OLD from Newport, who cannot be identified due to their age, has admitted shoplifting. The teenager swiped drinks worth £1.77 from Bettws Service Station on August 14 last year. They pleaded guilty at Cwmbran Magistrates' Court on July 8. The teenager was sentenced to a four-month Youth Referral Order and must pay £1.77 in compensation.
South Wales Guardian
14-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Former Conservative MP who harassed ex-wife handed community order
Katie Wallis, 41, of Butetown, Cardiff, the MP for Bridgend in South Wales from 2019 to 2024, became the first openly transgender MP in the House of Commons in 2022. Appearing before Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Monday, Wallis, who was previously known as Jamie, was sentenced for harassing her ex-wife, Rebecca Wallis, now known as Rebecca Lovell. The court heard the former MP sent messages accusing Ms Lovell of being 'mean' to them, demanding to know about her new partner, saying she was 'cock hunting,' and calling her a 'c***' and a 'f****** bitch'. On February 25, using an unknown number, the former MP demanded £350,000 be put into their bank account within 15 minutes. In a separate message, Wallis referred to her ex-wife and father as 'prejudiced f******' adding they hope they 'never have a happy moment again'. In total, the former MP sent four messages and left one voice note. The couple split in 2020, with the divorce finalised in 2024. In a victim impact statement, which was read to the court, Ms Lovell said: 'This is the hardest thing I have written, for so long I have had to fight against the tide of Jamie's behaviour, publicly and privately.' She added: 'The woman I used to be is destroyed. I will never understand what I have done to deserve the hurt I have endured.' Ms Lovell described the last six months as 'utterly devastating' and said she was living her life as an 'overstimulated adult constantly in fight or flight'. She said she feared Wallis turning up at her home, leading her to have CCTV installed. Wallis, who was wearing a black dress, looked down as the statement was read to the court. Narita Bahra KC, appearing for the defence, said Wallis uses female pronouns, referring to Jamie as her 'deadname'. She argued it was 'disappointing' the case had come to court, criticising South Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for not dealing with the issue outside the court. Ms Bahra argued it was 'unequivocal' that Wallis had been suffering from mental health difficulties at the time of the offending, partly brought on by their transitioning. She also said Wallis was suffering from PTSD, a depressive disorder and an adjustment disorder. Ms Bahra said Wallis was remorseful and did not seek to excuse her actions. In Wallis's final message to Ms Lovell she asked for help, claimed she was experiencing pain in her temples and said she wanted her father to pay for someone to hold her hand. Wallis was then found by police and sectioned under the Mental Health Act before being arrested and later charged. District Judge Rhys Williams handed Wallis a 12-month community order to be carried out over 12 days and a fine worth £1,264. He also imposed a restraining order for 12 months to prevent Wallis from contacting Ms Lovell. Wallis, who pleaded guilty to leaving the messages at a hearing in June, initially denied the charges, but changed her plea when allegations of having driven by her ex-wife's home were removed from the charge.
Leader Live
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Former Conservative MP who harassed ex-wife handed community order
Katie Wallis, 41, of Butetown, Cardiff, the MP for Bridgend in South Wales from 2019 to 2024, became the first openly transgender MP in the House of Commons in 2022. Appearing before Cardiff Magistrates' Court on Monday, Wallis, who was previously known as Jamie, was sentenced for harassing her ex-wife, Rebecca Wallis, now known as Rebecca Lovell. The court heard the former MP sent messages accusing Ms Lovell of being 'mean' to them, demanding to know about her new partner, saying she was 'cock hunting,' and calling her a 'c***' and a 'f****** bitch'. On February 25, using an unknown number, the former MP demanded £350,000 be put into their bank account within 15 minutes. In a separate message, Wallis referred to her ex-wife and father as 'prejudiced f******' adding they hope they 'never have a happy moment again'. In total, the former MP sent four messages and left one voice note. The couple split in 2020, with the divorce finalised in 2024. In a victim impact statement, which was read to the court, Ms Lovell said: 'This is the hardest thing I have written, for so long I have had to fight against the tide of Jamie's behaviour, publicly and privately.' She added: 'The woman I used to be is destroyed. I will never understand what I have done to deserve the hurt I have endured.' Ms Lovell described the last six months as 'utterly devastating' and said she was living her life as an 'overstimulated adult constantly in fight or flight'. She said she feared Wallis turning up at her home, leading her to have CCTV installed. Wallis, who was wearing a black dress, looked down as the statement was read to the court. Narita Bahra KC, appearing for the defence, said Wallis uses female pronouns, referring to Jamie as her 'deadname'. She argued it was 'disappointing' the case had come to court, criticising South Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for not dealing with the issue outside the court. Ms Bahra argued it was 'unequivocal' that Wallis had been suffering from mental health difficulties at the time of the offending, partly brought on by their transitioning. She also said Wallis was suffering from PTSD, a depressive disorder and an adjustment disorder. Ms Bahra said Wallis was remorseful and did not seek to excuse her actions. In Wallis's final message to Ms Lovell she asked for help, claimed she was experiencing pain in her temples and said she wanted her father to pay for someone to hold her hand. Wallis was then found by police and sectioned under the Mental Health Act before being arrested and later charged. District Judge Rhys Williams handed Wallis a 12-month community order to be carried out over 12 days and a fine worth £1,264. He also imposed a restraining order for 12 months to prevent Wallis from contacting Ms Lovell. Wallis, who pleaded guilty to leaving the messages at a hearing in June, initially denied the charges, but changed her plea when allegations of having driven by her ex-wife's home were removed from the charge.
