Latest news with #Tonypandy
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
She told police officers she had come to collect her car keys, the problem was it had £45,000 of cocaine in it
A drug dealing couple were found in possession of more than £100,000 worth of cocaine after police followed them to a house where the stash was found. Both of them have previous convictions for drug offences. Nicole Locke, 32, and Guy Priddle, 33, were arrested on February 6 after Priddle was seen by police officers engaging in a suspected drug deal in a car. He was recognised by one of the officers and was followed to his address in George Street, Penygraig, Tonypandy. A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Locke entered the house and was spoken to by police as Priddle left through a rear window. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter. READ MORE: Storm Dexter to hit UK within hours but Met Office says it's great news for heatwave READ MORE: Major Cardiff road closed as firefighters battle blaze She told officers she had come to collect her car keys and her car was parked in a nearby lane. Prosecutor Nuhu Gobir said police found a quantity of cocaine and drug paraphernalia in the kitchen and bathroom of the property, as well as a large quantity of cash. A package of 35g of cocaine was found, with a value between £1,300 and £2,040, and a separate package of 77g of cocaine, worth between £2,800 and £4,290. Locke was arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply, and claimed she had nothing to do with the substances. Her iPhone was seized and she refused to give the PIN code, but officers were able to gain access and found numerous messages on a Snapchat account which were related to drug supply. In the defendant's handbag was a set of electric scales and a small bag containing white powder. Keys were taken from Locke and were found to belong to a Mercedes vehicle which was parked nearby. Recovered from the boot of the Mercedes was a large brown packet containing a kilo of cocaine, worth £30,000, and another package containing half a kilo of cocaine, worth £15,000, as well as £4,154 in cash. Also found were seven rocks, found to be 28g of cocaine, worth £1,000 to £1,500 each. Mr Gobir said the total amount of cocaine found weighed 1.8kg and had a street value between £75,660 and £100,888. Priddle handed himself in to the police on February 7, and both he and Locke were interviewed. Both Locke, of Pergwm Street, Trealaw, and Priddle, of George Street, Penygraig, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs and being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. The court heard Locke has four previous convictions, including an offence of conspiracy to supply cocaine and crack cocaine, and Priddle has one previous conviction for possession with intent to supply cocaine. In mitigation for Locke, Ruth Smith said her client became addicted to cocaine at the age of 20 after being given the drug by a violent boyfriend. She was left a "shell of a person" and when arrested for the previous drug offence she was found in a crack den, undernourished with no shoes on. Ms Smith said the mother-of-two had made great strides to rehabilitate herself but after suffering a miscarriage she had a mental health crisis. In mitigation for Priddle, Jeffrey Jones said his client is a carer for his mother who has osteoporosis, and he is due to become a father due to the pregnancy of another partner. Sentencing, Recorder Anna Price said: "Drugs cause crime and harm to those who take them and those around them." The judge said Priddle was of a "significant role" and he stood to make "serious financial gain", while Locke was categorised as being of "lesser role". Locke was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment and Priddle was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Moment McDonald's customer points GUN at teens while revealing stab-proof vest – before waving weapon at cop
THIS is the shocking moment a man casually brandished a weapon at a group of teenagers in his local McDonald's and later aimed it at a police officer in the street. Jacob Jenkins, 29, was snapped on CCTV taking a seat with a tray full of food at the restaurant chain in Tonypandy, Wales on May 2. 5 He then unzips his jacket revealing a stab-proof vest and is seen staring menacingly at the youths while eating a burger. The teens reportedly asked Jenkins if he was a cop, to which he replied "marines" before brandishing the gun. The lads swiftly exited the restaurant and dialled 999. Jenkins was later spotted by a police officer on Gelli Road. Rather than cooperating with officers, Jenkins pulled out the weapon for a second time and pointed it at the responding officer before fleeing the scene. More officers were dispatched to track down and arrest Jenkins, who discarded his coat at a nearby construction site. After apprehending the culprit, a police dog and its handler recovered the coat along with two guns, which had been well-hidden under pallets. Cops then combed through the address where Jenkins was staying, where they recovered another stab-vest and a tub of BB pellets. Jenkins pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possession of an imitation firearm in a public place, and two counts of possession of a bladed article in public at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday. He was jailed for four years and one month in prison, with an extended period of three years. Moment Britain's 'dopiest burglar' is caught red-handed after staring straight into Ring doorbell of home he ransacked 'This incident was extremely frightening for everyone involved -from the youths who should have felt safe while enjoying their meal to the officer who was faced with a gun from just metres away,' said detective consttable Sarah Griffiths of South Wales Police. 'It demonstrates clearly how even weapons perceived by some to be harmless, such as BB guns, can be extremely dangerous in the hands of the wrong people. "As shown here, they can be used to deliberately cause fear, or to carry out serious offences. 'As part of our In The Wrong Hands campaign, we urge our communities to work with us to ensure weapons such as this don't fall into the hands of the wrong people, and I cannot commend the young witnesses in this case enough. "Their quick-thinking ensured we were able to seize the weapons and bring Jenkins before the courts. 'I'm pleased Jenkins has been handed a custodial sentence and hope this brings some reassurance and comfort to those involved in the incident and the wider community.' 5 5
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
Moment man brandishes gun in McDonald's before aiming it at police officer as he is jailed for four years
A man pulled out a gun in front of a group of teenagers in a McDonald's, before aiming it at a police officer. Jacob Jenkins was jailed for four years for carrying the weapon in a public place. Jenkins, 29, took his gun into the fast food restaurant in Tonypandy on May 2, and casually brandished it to a group of teenagers. The group had noticed his stab proof vest and the fact he had been staring at them. One of the group asked Jenkins if he was a police officer, he replied 'marines' before taking out the pistol he was carrying and showing it to them. Concerned for their safety, the group left the restaurant and called the police. Jenkins then left and was stopped by an officer nearby. Instead of surrendering he pulled the gun out and pointed it directly at the officer. He shouted at the officer before fleeing the scene. He later pulled the gun out and pointed it at a police officer who jolted back behind the car Jenkins was soon found leaving a nearby construction site having removed his coat. He was arrested and a thorough search of the site by a police dog and its handler quickly recovered the coat along with two guns, which had been well-hidden under pallets, and which were found to be gas-powered ball-bearing (BB) guns. A further search of the address where Jenkins had been staying also recovered another stab-vest and a tub of BB pellets. At Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, Jenkins pleaded guilty to possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possession of an imitation firearm in a public place, and two counts of possession of a bladed article in public. Today, he was sentenced to four years and one month, with an extended period of three years. CCTV footage showed Jenkins in the McDonald's in Tonypandy wearing a pair of headphones, a puffer jacket and camouflage trousers. He was seen carrying his tray of food, which appeared to be four burgers and two portions of fries. He sits down and opens up his jacket showing his holsters and stab vest. Midway through eating his first burger, he passes the food into his left hand and pulls out the gun in his right, before placing it back into his concealed holster. The next clip shows the moment a police officer pulls up alongside him as he walked down Gelli Road. The officer gets out of the car to speak to him, but Jenkins immediately pulls his gun out, aiming it towards the policeman. The officer jolts back and takes cover behind his police car while Jenkins shouts at him and then runs away on foot. Later, bodycam footage showed a group of firearms officers surrounding him and pinning him to the ground as he was arrested. He can be heard saying: 'I got nothing on me. You can search me, I got nothing on me. So I haven't done nothing wrong.' The final clip shows police finding the guns in what appeared to be the ceiling of a property.
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
There will be 50 new flats and houses built on land in the centre of a Rhondda town
Plans for 50 houses and flats in the town centre of a Rhondda town have been approved with one councillor saying it was a "lovely development." A planning application for a residential development from Trivallis for Mitchell Court, in Tonypandy, went before Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council's planning committee and was approved for the site which also includes the location of the former conservative club and the RCT principal office building and it will comprise 27 one-bedroom apartments and 15 two-bedroom apartments. It will also include four two-bedroom houses and four three-bedroom houses. READ MORE: DWP confirms 87 medical conditions that qualify for £749 payment READ MORE: Teenager being treated in hospital after alleged stabbing The existing primary access to the apartments will be kept from Court Street leading to a car park containing 16 spaces. At the ground floor level the plans include separate rooms for the storage of mobility scooters, cycles, and recycling/waste. There would be off-street parking for the houses with two spaces per house. To get all the latest Rhondda news straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here. The open space will be landscaped and include a 'pocket park' between the houses leading to a landscaped play and social space and new tree-planting and sustainable drainage features would be included. During the consultation period revised plans incorporating small tweaks to the layout and access were received. No public objections were received relating to the plans. Major housing association issues statement dispelling Rhondda 'rumours' In recommending approval planning officers say in their report that the proposed development is located within the settlement boundary where its highly sustainable location and the beneficial re-use of previously developed land would comply with both the northern strategy area policies of the Rhondda Cynon Taf Local Development Plan and national sustainable placemaking outcomes set out in Planning Policy Wales. 'In addition the design and layout of the development would provide an attractive use of the former residential and office site and would be of an appearance and scale appropriate and sympathetic to the surrounding properties and street scene. 'Furthermore the 100% affordable dwellings would provide a welcome and significant contribution towards local housing needs as identified by the council's local housing market assessment.' They add that the impact of the development upon the residential amenity of the surrounding neighbouring properties and existing residents would be considered to be acceptable and the scheme could be delivered without detriment to highway safety. Councillor Wendy Lewis described at as a "lovely development".
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Woman fined over £400 by her council for flytipping for strange reason
A woman has been fined more than £400 - after paying for someone to dispose of her rubbish. Tyler Marie Richards employed them to remove a pile of 20 bin bags from her property in Bridge Street, Tonypandy. The mountain of waste included a plastic kennel, 15 of general rubbish, four recycling bags, a cardboard box and a pile of general loose garbage. But she was left horrified when she was tracked down after the sea of waste was discovered strewn across the residential area of Penrhys in Ronda Cynon Taf. Ms Richards then failed to engage with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council's enforcement officers - and the local authority decided to take court action against her, WalesOnline reports. And she was fined £120 alongside clean-up costs of £255.51 and a victim surcharge of £48 after she was found guilty of failing to control her waste and committing an offence under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In total she was fined a stunning £423.51 - despite not fly-tipping any rubbish herself. But the furious council blasted Ms Richards furiously telling the newspaper that 'fly-tipping will not be tolerated, ever'. Councillor Ann Crimmings said: 'There is never an excuse to blight our, towns, lanes, streets and villages with waste, and we will find those responsible and hold them to account. 'If your waste is fly tipped, you could be fined along with the individual or company you paid to remove it. 'We will use every power available to us to hold those accountable for their actions.' Official figures recently suggested flytipping in England has risen to its highest level in almost 20 years. Environment Secretary Steve Reed vowed to toughen up enforcement after reported cases of illegal dumping passed 1.15million in 2023-2024. The figure is an increase of six per cent from the 1.08million the previous year and the highest level in the six years since the current method for reporting was brought in. The statistics also revealed a year-on-year fall in the number of fixed penalty notices issued for flytipping and a decline in the number of court-issued fines. Analysis of the data revealed London as a major hotspot, with eight boroughs in the top 10 local authorities for overall dumping and the highest proportion by population. The London Borough of Croydon was said to be the flytipping capital of the UK with 35,470 recorded incidents, according to an analysis of government data published covering the period from April 2023 to March 2024. Across England, the scourge of fly-tipping represnted a 6.2 per cent increase on the previous year and the second consecutive annual rise recorded. Nottingham and Liverpool were also included in the top 10, with other places towards the highest levels being Birmingham and Bradford. Last year some 60 per cent of cases involved household waste, with 688,000 incidents of illegally dumped rubbish from homes - ranging from black bags of waste to the contents of shed clearances, furniture, carpets and DIY. The most common places for flytipping to occur were on pavements and roads, accounting for 37 per cent of incidents. Almost one third, or 31 per cent, of incidents were the size of a small van load. And another 28 per cent amounted to the equivalent of a car boot or less of rubbish. Meanwhile, four per cent were the size of a tipper lorry load or bigger. Large flytipping incidents have cost £13.1million for local authorities to clean up, research showed. Mr Reed has said: 'Flytipping is a disgraceful act which trashes communities and its increase is unacceptable. Communities and businesses shouldn't have to put up with these crimes. 'This Government will crack down on fly tipping and punish rubbish dumpers, forcing them to clean up their mess.'
