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BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Cardiff murder: Man found guilty of stabbing James Brogan
A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of stabbing a 43-year-old man to death in Cardiff. A jury found Georgie Tannetta, from Trowbridge, guilty of murder at Newport Crown Court on Thursday. James Brogan, from St Mellons, was found with serious injuries at Coleford Drive on 12 November 2024 and died in hospital shortly after. At the time of his death, Mr Brogan's family described him as "generous, caring and thoughtful - a comedian who loved making people smile and laugh". Tannetta will be sentenced on 27 June.
Wales Online
28-05-2025
- Wales Online
Paedophile pretended to be teenager on TikTok to groom 10-year-old girl
Paedophile pretended to be teenager on TikTok to groom 10-year-old girl The 34-year-old bakery worker told the child she was pretty and sent her a picture of his genitals Thomas Winterson (Image: Gwent Police ) A paedophile groomed a 10-year-old girl he met on TikTok before sending her a picture of his penis, a court has heard. An investigation into that matter led police to finding Thomas Winterson had hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse which he had shared with a like-minded individual, and had visited Russian websites known for hosting indecent images. Newport Crown Court heard the 34-year-old defendant has a previous conviction for possessing indecent images for which he was given a community order. The bakery worker's barrister told the court Winterson had voluntarily sought help from a charity which works with sex offenders and was motivated to change. The court heard that Winterson's behaviour came to light after he contacted a 10-year-old girl in the north of England on the video-sharing app TikTok. Pretending to be a 15-year-old boy, the defendant told the child she was pretty and asked if they could chat on Snapchat, offering her money for the popular online game platform Roblox. The court heard that once on Snapchat Winterson asked the girl for pictures - the girl sent him some photos of herself and he responded by sending her pictures of his erect penis. The girl called Winterson a "paedophile" and told her mother who in turn reported the matter to police. The court heard that the defendant was identified via the phone number linked to his TikTok account and officers subsequently attended at his house to arrest him and seize his electronic devices. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter An examination of Winterson's phone and his online Mega storage account uncovered more than 800 indecent images - the vast majority being videos - including 220 classified as Category A which show the most extreme forms of sexual abuse and rape. The children in the images were aged from around 12 months up to teenagers, and most of the images were in a hidden folder on the iPhone. An image involving "intercourse with a sheep" was also found. Article continues below The court heard the examination of the phone also revealed Winterson had been chatting to someone who went by the name "Evil Mouse" and that the defendant had sent the contact a link to his Mega storage account and had discussed "trading" images. The examination of the defendant's iPhone additionally revealed he had been visiting a Russian website known for hosting child sexual abuse images. Read about a sex offender who carried out detailed surveillance of local children including mapping their movements to and from school Thomas Winterson, of Rhymney Close, Ebbw Vale, had previously pleaded guilty to causing a child to see a sexual act, three counts of possessing indecent images of Categories A, B, and C, three counts of distributing indecent images of Categories A, B, and C and to possessing extreme pornography when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has two previous convictions four three offences including possessing indecent images from 2018 for which he was sentenced to a community order and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order. Meabh McGee, for Winterson, said the defendant had told her that at the time of the offending he was "in a very low place" after someone to knew had shared details of his previous offending. She said the defendant had voluntarily sought help from the Lucy Faithful foundation and now had a range of "tools" he can use in his life including limiting the amount of time he spends online and engaging with mental health groups. She said her client has a job in a bakery and has stable accommodation and that he hopes to re-establish contact with his son but realises "he has a lot of work to do before that can happen" Article continues below Judge Eugene Egan said Winterson had groomed a child he had met on TikTok before sending her a picture of his erect penis, something which had caused "huge upset". He said an investigation into that matter led police to finding indecent images, and he told the defendant the babies and children in the images he had were real children being sexually abused. With one-third discounts for his guilty pleas Winterson was sentenced to 29 months in prison comprising 26 months for the distribution offences and eight months for the possession offences to run concurrently, and three months for the offending involving the 10-year-old girl to run consecutively with the 26 months. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.
South Wales Argus
24-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
Caerphilly: Early release prisoner attacked man with scalpel
Shane Lever, aged 34, who has 102 offences to his name, split James Price's lip open with the weapon in the victim's own home just before last Christmas. Newport Crown Court heard how the assault in the Trecenydd area of Caerphilly 'came out of nowhere'. Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, said the victim needed 20 stitches for the wound after he was taken by ambulance to the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran. Mr Price lost consciousness following the attack which took place at around 6pm on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Lever had gone to visit the victim who he had known for around 15 years. The defendant had asked Mr Price for the drugs pregabalin and Valium as he was 'struggling with heroin' and needed help. Mr Gobir told the court that the victim had congratulated Lever because he had just been released early from prison. He had been freed from jail on December 5 after he was given a six-week custodial sentence for assaulting an emergency worker. Lever, the prosecution said, had pushed Mr Price who pushed him back before the complainant was cut with the weapon. 'After he was arrested on December 13, he told the police that the victim had lunged at him and punched him in the face,' Mr Gobir said. 'The defendant then became visibly distressed when he was shown pictures of Mr Price's injuries during the interview.' Lever, of no fixed abode, Caerphilly pleaded guilty to wounding with intent. Mr Gobir added: 'His previous convictions are littered with offences of violence – 18 in total.' They include grievous bodily harm, attempted robbery, violent disorder and battery. Ed Mitchard representing Lever said in mitigation: 'The defendant had a difficult background – his father was murdered when he was a child. 'His mother had three children and two of his siblings have passed away.' Judge Eugene Egan jailed Lever for 45 months and made him the subject of a five-year restraining order not to contact Mr Price. The defendant was ordered to pay a statutory victim surcharge following his release from custody.
South Wales Argus
17-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
Caerphilly shoplifter targets Morrisons to steal vodka
Shay Pitman, 21, is a menace at Morrisons in Caerphilly, Newport Crown Court heard. He was being sentenced for two thefts at the store two months ago. The first offence took place on March 21 when he pinched a £19.50 bottle of Smirnoff vodka. The second incident happened a week later on March 28 when he took a bottle of Glenmorangie whisky, two bottles of Smirnoff and a bottle of Glen's Vodka which were worth £87. Emma Meadows, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant made no attempt to pay for the items.' Pitman was recognised immediately when police officers studied CCTV footage of the thefts. The defendant had been accompanied by a woman during the second offence who had provided a pink bag for him to carry the spirits. He was also being sentenced for a third shoplifting incident when he pinched coffee valued at £4 from Iceland in Caerphilly on April 14. The total value of the goods taken was £110.50. 'When he was arrested and interviewed, the defendant admitted all the three offences,' Miss Meadows added. 'He explained he had stolen the items in the first two offences after planning to sell them in Lansbury Park.' Victim impact statements were provided to the court. Lewis Duke from Morrisons said: 'This shoplifter is a prolific offender who targets us to steal high value spirits.' He added: "We can't stop him without police assistance.' Rhys Williams from Iceland said: 'Incidents like this take away employees from the shopfloor and from our customers.' Shoplifting, he revealed, results in reduced profits and the knock-on effect of staff hours having to be reduced to compensate. Pitman, formerly of Dol Yr Eos, Mornington Meadows, Caerphilly pleaded guilty to three counts of theft. He committed the offences while he was the subject of a suspended custodial sentence for burglary with intent. That jail sentence was activated last month and he appeared in court via video link from prison. Abigail Jackson representing Pitman said he was homeless and had been sleeping in a shed. Judge Carl Harrison jailed the defendant for four weeks which will be served consecutively to his current prison term. Pitman will also have to pay a £154 victim surcharge following his release.
South Wales Argus
16-05-2025
- South Wales Argus
Caerphilly boy, 15, raped underage girl as she slept
Ethan Walker, now aged 19, from Caerphilly was found guilty by a jury of rape following a trial. Newport Crown Court heard how the victim woke up to find the defendant 'penetrating her'. Walker, of High Street, Ynysddu had denied the rape which happened in 2021. Prosecutor Clare Wilks said the fact that the offence took place while the girl was asleep was an 'aggravating feature'. In a victim impact statement, she revealed the shattering effect of the crime upon her. 'I have greatly suffered as a result of this,' she confessed. 'I have flashbacks to the events that took place and I feel ashamed and emotionally drained. 'I've been suffering with nightmares similar to the flashbacks. 'When I wake up, I feel really anxious and my skin is crawling.' She added: 'I feel as if I'm living with this trauma every day. 'He stole my childhood from me.' Paul Hewitt, mitigating, asked the court to take into account the facts that his client had no previous convictions and his young age at the time of the offence. Judge Daniel Williams told Walker: 'What you did was wrong, very wrong. 'You apologised to your victim in Snapchat messages.' He added: 'She has suffered greatly. 'The court commends her for her courage and fortitude.' Judge Williams said the defendant was 'emotionally immature' and had been assessed as presenting 'a low risk of reoffending'. Walker was spared an immediate custodial sentence. He was sent to a young offender institution for two years with that period suspended for two years. The defendant will have to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work in the community. Walker was made the subject of an eight-month electronically monitored curfew between the hours of 7pm and 7am. For the next 10 years, he will have to register as a sex offender. He was made the subject of an eight-year restraining order not to contact his victim. The defendant must also pay a surcharge.
