Latest news with #WALESNEWSSERVICE
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Dad-of-two took police on 'long and deliberate' chase despite car's tyres being damaged by Stinger
Dad-of-two took police on 'long and deliberate' chase despite car's tyres being damaged by Stinger Jordan Barron, 24, had been previously disqualified from driving three times Jordan Barron, of Peacehaven, Tredegar, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE ) A Tredegar man took police on a 10 minute long chase before crashing into a police car and trying to run away. On March 29, 2025, Jordan Barron, 24, was travelling from the Dyfed-Powys area to Gwent when his car was spotted by police and a pursuit ensued. Anisha Rai, prosecuting, showed Cardiff Crown Court dashcam footage from a police car which revealed a ten minute long police chase where the Ford Fiesta driver kept on driving despite his tyres being damaged by a police stinger. Footage showed the car going the wrong way around roundabouts, mounting kerbs and bollards, carelessly overtaking other cars, failing to stop at a red light and driving on the wrong side of the road. Other vehicles had to swerve out of the way to avoid being hit as Barron struggled to control the car after the tyres had been slashed. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here . Towards the end of the video, the Ford Fiesta can be seen entering an industrial estate where it goes round the roundabout the wrong way and collides with a police car. Barron can then be seen running out of his car and a short on-foot chase ensues before he is arrested. Article continues below Ms Rai told the court that when Barron was arrested police found he only held a provisional driving licence. Barron then admitted that he was aware he was being followed by police officers and knew he didn't have insurance, claiming it was "too expensive". Ms Rai called it a "long, persistent and deliberate case of dangerous driving". Jeffrey Jones, representing Barron, explained how his client suffered with learning disabilities and described him as someone who had "difficulties handling his emotions". He added that Barron was deemed unfit to work due to his mental health issues and explained that he "accepts how stupid he was". Mr Jones further explained that his client was still young and had two children who he saw weekly. Barron, of Peacehaven, Tredegar, has 12 previous convictions for 17 offences and has undergone three periods of driving disqualification since 2016. He was charged with dangerous driving, failing to stop and driving without a licence or insurance. Article continues below Judge Wayne Beard said: "This was an extended period of driving where you took risks with the vehicle after a level of control had been reduced." The judge gave him an 18 month community order which will include 26 sessions and ten rehabilitation requirement days. Judge Beard also ordered him to pay £414 and disqualified Barron from driving for a further 18 months.
Business News Wales
2 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Entry Deadline Extended for Prestigious Wales Technology Awards 2025
The entry deadline for the highly anticipated Wales Technology Awards 2025 has officially been extended to Friday, 18 July 2025, giving more time for Wales' most innovative companies, rising stars, and standout leaders to enter. Now in its 10th year, the Wales Technology Awards, created by Technology Connected and taking place on 26 November, mark a decade of championing the businesses and individuals powering Wales' dynamic and world-class tech industry. And in a first for the event, this year's Awards will be held as the ultimate grand finale to Wales Tech Week 2025 – Wales' largest international tech summit, taking place 24–26 November at ICC Wales. 20.10.2022Wales Technology Awards WALES NEWS SERVICE Avril Lewis, Managing Director of Technology Connected, said: 'We know how much passion and dedication goes into building a tech business, and that deserves to be celebrated. That's why we've extended the entry deadline, to give everyone a little more time to pull their stories together. With over 11 award categories, there's something for nearly every tech company in Wales – whether you're just starting out, scaling up, or going international. 'This year's awards are extra special – it's our 10th anniversary. It would be fantastic to see the whole community there. So if you've been thinking about entering… now's your moment.' WALES NEWS SERVICE Jacqui Murray, Chair of the Judging Panel and Director of South Wales for the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, added: 'The calibre of talent and innovation coming out of Wales is exceptional. As judges, we want to give every submission the attention it deserves. This deadline extension ensures that entries can be as strong as possible, and that the recognition we give is truly meaningful and competitive.' Award categories include: ● The Sir Michael Moritz Tech Start-up Award ● The Aled Miles International Impact Award ● Rising Star of the Year Award ● Best Tech Leader Award ● Best AI Application Award ● Best Digital Transformation Award – Public Sector ● Best Digital Transformation Award – Private Sector ● Best EdTech Application Award ● Best GreenTech Application Award ● Best Healthtech Application Award ● Best Digital Inclusion Award The Wales Technology Awards 2025 are free to enter, and entries to multiple categories are welcome. Enter here:
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Wales Online
Driver who killed eight-month-old baby in pram has sentence reduced
Driver who killed eight-month-old baby in pram has sentence reduced Bridget Curtis pressed down on the accelerator of her car after stopping outside Withybush Hospital, killing Mabli Cariad Hall who was sitting in her pushchair Bridget Curtis killed Mabli Cariad Hall after she pressed down on the accelerator of her automatic BMW 520d car after stopping outside Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on June 21, 2023 (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE ) A driver who struck and killed an eight-month-old baby in her pram outside a hospital has had her prison sentence reduced at the Court of Appeal, in what judges described as a "truly tragic" case. Bridget Curtis pressed down on the accelerator of her automatic BMW 520d car after stopping outside Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on June 21 2023, causing it to mount a kerb and collide with the pushchair of Mabli Cariad Hall. Mabli, who had just said a final goodbye to her paternal grandmother Betty Hall, who was receiving end-of-life care at the hospital, sustained fatal head injuries and died in hospital days later. Eight-month-old Mabli Cariad Hall, who died when she was struck in her pushchair by driver Bridget Curtis outside Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire in June 2023. (Image: Copyright remains with handout provider ) Curtis, who was 69 at the time of the offence and is now 71, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving last September and was jailed for four years at Swansea Crown Court in January. At the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, her barrister said the sentence was "manifestly excessive" and should be reduced, stating that the case concerned a "lapse of concentration." Article continues below Three senior judges ruled that Curtis's sentence was "manifestly excessive" and reduced it to one of three years, while increasing her disqualification from driving from six years to seven-and-a-half years. Mr Justice Butcher, sitting with Lord Justice Bean and Judge Richard Marks KC, said: "We say at once that this is a truly tragic case. "We have read the very moving victim personal statements of Mabli's parents, expressing their grief at the death of their beloved baby. "No one could fail to sympathise with them for the appalling loss that they have sustained." Curtis, who attended the appeal via video link from HMP Eastwood Park in Gloucestershire and sat in a wheelchair throughout, had no previous convictions at the time of the incident and had held a clean driving licence for more than 50 years. Her sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court heard that on the day of the collision she had driven her daughter to an outpatient appointment at the hospital. When her daughter struggled to find her handbag in the rear of the car, Curtis unlocked the door and turned around to assist her. But as she did so, she pressed down on the accelerator of her car, which had been left running and was not in park mode. The car reached speeds of more than 29mph and travelled 28 metres in around four seconds, mounting the kerb of a grass seating area and causing Mabli to be thrown out of her pushchair. The car only stopped when it collided with a tree, having also caused injuries to Mabli's father Rob Hall. Mabli, the youngest of six siblings, received treatment at the Withybush Hospital, as well as hospitals in Cardiff and Bristol, dying in the arms of her parents on June 25. Her mother, Gwen Hall, told the sentencing hearing that her daughter was "so bright, so beautiful, so full of love and life." Mabli Cariad Hall was killed (Image: PA Media ) She said: "She hadn't crawled yet. She had said 'Mama' for the first time only the day before. We had so much planned with her. "It was nowhere near the time for her to be taken away from us. She was my baby. My eight-month-old baby." John Dye, for Curtis, told Swansea Crown Court that she was a mother-of-four and grandmother of 10, who was "absolutely devastated" by the incident. Appearing again for Curtis at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, Mr Dye said: "This is a tragic case, but the issue really was one of pedal confusion." He continued: "Objectively, this is clearly dangerous driving, but in terms of culpability, these four seconds of driving were more akin to, maybe not a momentary lapse, but a lapse of concentration." Craig Jones, for the Crown Prosecution Service, made no oral submissions to the court. Reducing the sentence, Mr Justice Butcher said: "True it is that the appellant did not intend to cause any harm, and true also that the mistake was of a short duration, but the driving was well over the threshold of dangerousness." He continued that Curtis would have known that she had stopped "in a busy area outside a hospital with potentially very vulnerable pedestrians around", and that four or five seconds "is far from being a negligible duration." Article continues below He added that the court accepted that Curtis's remorse was "genuine", stating: "It was inattention and confusion as to which pedal she was pressing that caused this tragedy."
Wales Online
11-06-2025
- Wales Online
Violent inmate threw faeces and urine at prison officers while laughing
Violent inmate threw faeces and urine at prison officers while laughing Adam Smith, 33, carried out the disgusting acts on staff members at HMP Parc in Bridgend Parc Prison in Bridgend (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE ) A violent inmate threw a combination of faeces and urine at officers at a Welsh prison and punched another in the face. His victims were left shaken by the incidents, and were taken to hospital in order to be tested for various conditions. Adam Smith, 33, was a serving prisoner at HMP Parc in Bridgend when he carried out the disgusting assaults on staff members at the jail. He had been sentenced to six years imprisonment for inflicting grievous bodily harm. A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard the first assault took place on November 17, 2023, when a prison officer was mingling with inmates. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter. The officer felt a wet substance hit the back of his head, and fall down his back and legs. He described it as "cold, runny wax", and he could smell faeces and urine. The officer tipped the back of his head to stop liquid getting into his eyes, and was described as "distressed and shaken". He was taken to hospital for a routine check. Article continues below Smith was later identified on CCTV and he was also overheard saying "I potted an officer." When confronted, he claimed he had been "paid to do it". On February 2 last year, another officer was attacked when Smith sprayed the contents of a plastic bottle and was laughing as he did so. The contents went on the officer's face and upper body and he could smell urine. The officer slipped on urine on the floor and felt a pain in his left as he grappled with the defendant, who continued to laugh. His clothes were wet and his eyes were stinging, and he was required to attend hospital for his eyes to be washed with a syringe. The officer was left "angry and upset" by the incident. A third officer was assaulted by Smith on March 20 last year when the defendant walked towards him and punched him to the mouth. Prosecutor Jenny Yeo said the officer felt blood in his mouth and his teeth felt loose. As a result, his teeth had to be realigned and fixed back into place. Smith, now of HMP Swaleside, pleaded guilty to two counts of administering a noxious or poisonous substance and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The court heard he had 28 previous convictions, including three offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, 12 offences of battery and inflicting grievous bodily harm. Article continues below In mitigation, David Pinnell said his client had since been diagnosed with ADHD, for which he was now receiving medication, and wanted to reengage with his partner and three children. Judge Rhys Rowlands sentenced him to a total of 42 months imprisonment, which he will serve consecutively to his current sentence.
Wales Online
09-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Major Welsh health board issues A&E warning
Major Welsh health board issues A&E warning Significant pressure across the health care system is having an impact on waiting times at Wales' largest hospital The hospital are facing an increased amount of patients (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE ) A busy Welsh hospital has asked the public to only attend the hospital's emergency unit if it is an emergency as they experience a high number of patients. The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board put a public plea out as the University Hospital of Wales remains very busy, resulting in longer waiting times for treatments. The pressure on the health care system across Wales has resulted in a high number of patients within the hospital as well as fewer people being discharged at the normal rate. The health board has asked the people of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to check their symptoms via the NHS 111 website if they are unsure of them as the emergency unit sustains significant pressure. A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: "We are currently experiencing significant pressure across our healthcare system which is having an impact on waiting times in the Emergency Unit and patient flow through the hospital. "This pressure has been driven by a combination of factors, including a high number of people requiring hospital admission via ambulance and a lower-than-normal amount of people being discharged from hospital. Article continues below "We are working closely with colleagues and Health Board partners to ensure we can continue to provide safe and effective care to those who need us most. "We would continue to urge the public to think about the alternatives to the Emergency Unit if your condition does not require emergency care, including NHS 111 Wales and local Primary Care services. "The NHS 111 Wales website has a wealth of information on different health conditions, and a symptom checker to help patients make informed decisions. "You can also call 111 to access Barry Minor Injuries Unit, urgent care and Out-of-Hours. "Your Primary Care team in the community could also support. Each member of the primary care team has skills and expertise in different areas, enabling you to get the right support, from the right healthcare professional, first time. "Thank you for your patience and cooperation at this time." Article continues below
