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BBC News
10 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Kimberley Nixon feels 'lighter' after ADHD and autism diagnosis
A Welsh actress says a "huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders" after being diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Kimberley Nixon, star of Channel 4's Fresh Meat, developed perinatal obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), after giving birth to her son during the 2020 said her worries about her baby's well-being escalated into intense anxiety, with symptoms lasting around two and a half years. As she began to recover, other lifelong patterns started to make sense, prompting her to seek a diagnosis. Following a series of in-depth assessments and standard diagnostic tests, she was formally diagnosed with autism and ADHD on an interview with BBC Radio Wales, Nixon told presenter Behnaz Akhgar: "We all know what the NHS is like when it comes to waiting lists, so it's taken a while. "The assessments are incredibly thorough - they dig into every little nook and cranny of your life and your past."The actress, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, known for her roles in Wild Child and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, said she now feels "lighter" and is "kinder" to herself, which she described as "really lovely."Reflecting on the diagnosis, she said: "It's that square peg in a round hole feeling. "I've realised it's not that my brain is wrong - it's just different. "I don't process or interpret things the same way others do. "That always felt like a problem. "But now, it just feels like a difference." Nixon also spoke about her experience of being diagnosed with perinatal OCD, which is when you experience OCD during pregnancy or in the first year after giving is a mental health condition characterised by intrusive thoughts and compulsive years of IVF, she gave birth to her son during the 2020 pandemic, which she described as the "big catalyst" for her struggles."I went through a really tough time postpartum," she said. "Eventually, I was diagnosed with perinatal OCD - which I didn't even know was a thing. "Once you start looking into it, you realise it's actually quite common."Nixon said the condition did not present in the typical ways people associate with OCD. "I'm not a neat freak, I don't tick the usual boxes - but with perinatal OCD, I absolutely did," she said. "It involved really distressing intrusive thoughts, repetitive thinking, and punishing compulsions - just to relieve the anxiety."Last year, she told BBC Radio Wales' Books That Made Me with Lucy Owen: "I was just convinced that I wasn't doing things right. "I wasn't feeding him right. What temperature is he supposed to be?"Every time he cried I was just sort of shaking - I just got really hyper vigilant and terrified."Since learning more about the condition, Nixon has made it a priority to speak openly about it, saying it's "not as widely recognised as postnatal depression". In Thursday's interview, Nixon also spoke about her latest role in the ITV series Shardlake. She plays the character Joan in the four-part drama, which is based on CJ Sansom's historical mystery first season adapts the book Dissolution. The story follows lawyer Matthew Shardlake as he investigates a murder at a remote monastery during the reign of Henry a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, said the series was filmed in Budapest and it felt like "a little Hungarian Welsh college reunion", as fellow cast members Arthur Hughes and Anthony Boyle also trained at the same institution.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- The Independent
Officers showed ‘exceptional bravery' during unprecedented police station attack
Officers showed 'exceptional bravery' when confronting a man armed with weapons and a firebomb in an 'unprecedented attack' outside a police station. Alexander Dighton, 28, attacked officers outside the Talbot Green police station in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, on January 31, stabbing one officer in the thigh and knocking another unconscious. He also used a Molotov cocktail to try to set fire to a police van. The attack, which officers said had a 'profound effect' on the community, is one of two major incidents to happen in Talbot Green this year, in a town normally regarded as one of the 'quietest areas' that South Wales Police covers. Speaking ahead of sentencing, Chief Superintendent Stephen Jones praised the officers who attended the incident, saying they showed 'absolutely exceptional bravery and professionalism'. He said: 'It is a moment of rarity that we see such a targeted attack at a police station, but it does underscore the absolute perilous and unpredictable nature that police officers face on a daily basis. The officers' actions were truly commendable. 'However, it has had a profound effect not only on the officers themselves but their families and the wider community. 'After all, the officers are not only public servants, they're husbands and wives, fathers and sons and mothers and daughters, and the impact has been far-reaching, particularly on the families supporting these officers.' Mr Jones said one officer received a deep wound to his inner thigh, narrowly missing his femoral artery. The officer has made a physical recovery. Another officer was knocked out during the attack and has suffered prolonged concussions as a result. 'But I think the impact of the mental scars will take some considerable time to heal,' he said. He added: 'This was one of the most serious, premeditated violent attacks that I have experienced – second-hand – in my service. The level of violence and preparation is unprecedented.' Mr Jones insisted that Talbot Green remains a 'very safe and quiet area' but acknowledged it had experienced two separate major incidents within a few weeks of each other. On March 9, five weeks after Dighton's attack, Joanne Penney was shot in the chest at an address in the town. Eight people have appeared in court in connection with her murder. Mr Jones said: 'Incidents like these are exceptionally rare for areas like Talbot Green, albeit I do recognise that we've had two significant major incidents occurring in Talbot Green within the space of weeks. 'We realise that it has an impact on the community, and it makes some people feel less reassured and more vulnerable. 'We have increased patrols, we have increased the number of officers working out of Talbot Green to look after the officers working there and also to protect the community.'
The Independent
13-06-2025
- The Independent
Man who attacked officers outside police station had been referred to Prevent
A man armed with Molotov cocktails and a hatchet who attacked officers outside a South Wales police station had been referred to the Prevent anti-terrorism programme a year earlier by his sister, a court heard. Alexander Dighton, 28, knocked one officer unconscious and stabbed another in the leg when he launched an attack on Talbot Green Police Station in Rhondda Cynon Taf on January 31. In a police interview, Dighton, of Pontyclun, said he did not consider the scope of damage, 'merely that blood had to be spilt'. He previously pleaded guilty to 10 charges relating to the incident. At a sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC heard Dighton had been referred to the anti-terrorism programme Prevent a year before the incident. Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said: 'On January 5 2024, the defendant was reported to Prevent by his sister, who stated her brother holds racist and anti-Muslim views and is likely to be involved with incel groups. 'She also stated that he is vulnerable as he has gone missing previously and has attempted suicide.' The incel movement is made up of people who find themselves unsuccessful in relationships, often harbouring extreme and misogynistic views. On the night of the attack, Dighton arrived at the police station shortly before 7pm, where he lit a petrol bomb and threw it at a police van. When that failed to ignite, he attempted to start a fire by pouring lighter fluid over the van before smashing the windows of two vehicles using a pole. When confronted by officers, Dighton said: 'I'm fed up, I'm done,' before launching his attack. Attempts to restrain him using a Taser were unsuccessful because of the body armour he was wearing. He swung a pole at one officer, punched one in the head and stabbed another in the thigh, narrowly missing his femoral artery. Two of the three injured officers were taken to hospital for treatment. The court also heard Dighton had recently been involved in an altercation with his neighbour, during which he used a homophobic slur. A week before the incident, he had received a letter from the police telling him to attend a police station to provide biometric samples in relation to the alleged public order offence. In a police interview after the attack on the police station, he said that he expected officers to go to his home to attempt to arrest him for not providing a sample. Mr Hearn said: 'He intended to attack the police officers who attended with a shovel, which he had sharpened for that purpose, and that his intention at that time was to kill any police officers who attended. 'No officers in fact attended the defendant's address.' During the interview, he also said his intention was to let it be known that 'his tolerance for the government had come to an end' by causing as much damage as possible. Mr Hearn said: '(Dighton) said that he had 'teetered' as to whether he wanted to kill someone and had not been 'fully decided'.' Dighton, representing himself in court, spoke about violence being 'justified' against the state. He referred to grooming gangs and 'Boris Johnson having parties while the country is locked down' during the Covid-19 pandemic. The defendant added: ' People have such a short memory, it is terrible. 'I will be dead before I leave prison anyway, so that doesn't bother me.' The hearing continues.
Sky News
13-06-2025
- Sky News
Alexander Dighton: Man jailed over police station attack involving Molotov cocktail, knife and wooden pole
A man motivated by anti-government ideology has been jailed for life for attempting to murder an officer during an attack on a police station in South Wales. Alexander Dighton, 28, who injured three officers during the attack outside Talbot Green police station in Rhondda Cynon Taf on 31 January, was sentenced to at least 22 years behind bars. The defendant, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest during the attack, was armed with a Molotov cocktail, a knife, a hatchet and a wooden pole. He caused damage to police vehicles, before attacking the officers as they attempted to restrain him - stabbing one in the leg, punching another in the head and swinging a pole at another. Two of the officers were taken to hospital to receive treatment. Dighton, from Pontyclun, had previously pleaded guilty to a total of 10 offences at the Old Bailey in London, including the attempted murder of a police officer, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, assault, attempted arson, possession of a bladed article and criminal damage. 'Serious violence' Prosecuting, Nicholas Hearn told the court that Dighton was "intent on serious violence" and had targeted the police station in an attempt to "force a confrontation with police officers". Police Constable Steph Fleming "drew her Taser" when she saw Dighton as she exited the station, while the defendant "continued to smash the windows" of a police vehicle. In footage played in court, the defendant could be heard telling the officer, "I am fed up" and "I am done". He also made reference to the number 75 and later clarified in a police interview that the comments were relating to "grooming gangs". When he was arrested and cautioned he told the arresting officer: "Your government is vulnerable." He told officers during an interview the motivation for the attack was to "let it be known that 'his tolerance of the government had come to an end'". The court heard the defendant had previously been reported to the government's Prevent scheme by his sister due to his "racist and anti-Muslim views". 'Fight or flight' PC Fleming attempted to Taser the defendant, but it had "no effect" on him as he was wearing a bullet-proof vest. She said in evidence that she had "never felt this level of fear before and never want to feel it again". Detective Constable Jack Cotton, who was stabbed in his leg during the incident, said in a victim impact statement that the night of the attack was "the most [he'd] ever feared" for his or a colleague's safety. "If Alexander Dighton had not been detained when he was, the outcome would have been completely different, and potentially fatal," he added. Detective Constable Joshua Emlyn, who restrained the defendant in a "head lock", was punched in the head, in what he described as "a fight or flight situation". Police Sergeant Richard Coleman, who was struck by the defendant's pole, said he can remember being hit "with incredible force". He also spoke of the toll the incident had taken on his family, saying it "had far more of an impact upon [his] wife than [he] could ever have imagined". 'Terrorist connection' Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan from South Wales Police said in his victim impact statement that the force had undertaken a "review of the CCTV system" at the station in an attempt to "reassure" police officers and staff. "I am immensely proud of the action of those officers who apprehended the defendant on the night," he added. "Their actions in really difficult and dangerous circumstances prevented tragedy." When asked by the judge whether there was anything he wanted to say in his own defence, Dighton, who was unrepresented, said: "I don't care about myself." "What I think is important is that we have a genuine conversation about where Britain is," he added. Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Lucraft KC said that "serious violence was clearly your motivation". "I am entirely satisfied that all of the offences here have a terrorist connection," he added. The sentences for the other offences will run concurrently to the life sentence for attempted murder, the judge said. Speaking after the case, Chief Superintendent Stephen Jones, from South Wales Police, told Sky News the officers involved were "recovering well". "The physical wounds are healing, but obviously the mental scars of such an unprecedented, determined, violent attack will take a considerable amount of time to heal," he said. Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Williams, head of investigations at Counter Terrorism Policing Wales, told Sky News that police "will not stand for people who act to undermine our democracy and our society". "People will be sought out, they will be prosecuted, and as has happened in this case, they will be sent to prison for lengthy periods," he added.
Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Telegraph
Man who attacked police with Molotov cocktails had been referred to Prevent
A man who attacked officers outside a police station had been referred to the Prevent anti-terrorism programme a year earlier by his sister, a court heard. Armed with Molotov cocktails and a hatchet, Alexander Dighton, 28, knocked one officer unconscious and stabbed another in the leg when he launched an attack on Talbot Green Police Station in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, on Jan 31. In a police interview, Dighton, from Pontyclun, said he did not consider the scope of damage, 'merely that blood had to be spilt'. He previously pleaded guilty to 10 charges relating to the incident, and he was sentenced to 22 years in prison. At the sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC heard Dighton had been referred to Prevent a year before the attack. Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said: 'On January 5 2024, the defendant was reported to Prevent by his sister, who stated her brother holds racist and anti-Muslim views and is likely to be involved with incel groups. 'She also stated that he is vulnerable as he has gone missing previously and has attempted suicide.' The incel movement is made up of people who find themselves unsuccessful in relationships, often harbouring extreme and misogynistic views. On the night of the attack, Dighton arrived at the police station shortly before 7pm, where he lit a petrol bomb and threw it at a police van. When that failed to ignite, he attempted to start a fire by pouring lighter fluid over the van before smashing the windows of two vehicles using a pole. When confronted by officers, Dighton said: 'I'm fed up, I'm done,' before launching his attack. Attempts to restrain him using a Taser were unsuccessful because of the body armour he was wearing. He swung a pole at one officer, punched one in the head and stabbed another in the thigh, narrowly missing his femoral artery. Two of the three injured officers were taken to hospital for treatment. The court also heard Dighton had recently been involved in an altercation with his neighbour, during which he used a homophobic slur. A week before the incident, he had received a letter from the police telling him to attend a police station to provide biometric samples in relation to the alleged public order offence. In a police interview after the attack, he said that he expected officers to go to his home to attempt to arrest him for not providing a sample. 'Kill any police officers' Mr Hearn said: 'He intended to attack the police officers who attended with a shovel, which he had sharpened for that purpose, and that his intention at that time was to kill any police officers who attended. 'No officers in fact attended the defendant's address.' During the interview, he also said his intention was to let it be known that 'his tolerance for the government had come to an end' by causing as much damage as possible. Mr Hearn said: '(Dighton) said that he had 'teetered' as to whether he wanted to kill someone and had not been 'fully decided'.' Dighton, representing himself in court, spoke about violence being 'justified' against the state. He referred to grooming gangs and 'Boris Johnson having parties while the country is locked down' during the Covid-19 pandemic. The defendant added: 'People have such a short memory, it is terrible. I will be dead before I leave prison anyway, so that doesn't bother me.'
