Man who admitted knife offence held in jail in isolation

A MAN due to be sentenced for carrying a knife at a railway station is in isolation due to Covid-19 cases at HM Swansea Prison, pictured.

Leighton Price was due to appear at Cardiff Crown Court via video link yesterday.

Prison staff said they would need protective clothing to produce him for the hearing.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said the prison had informed her three prisoners had tested positive for coronavirus.

The judge, prosecutor William Bebb, defence barrister Lowri Wynn Morgan and probation officer Jamie Richley all attended the hearing via a Skype link.

Mr Bebb was told he did not need to wear his wig and gown for the online hearing.

The court heard three prisoners have tested positive for Covid-19 at HM Swansea Prison and Price is currently in a 14-day isolation period.

Prison staff said they could produce him for the video link, but they would need safety measures including personal protective equipment.

Price, aged 19, from Tudor Close in Merthyr Vale, admitted possessing a kitchen knife at Treforest railway station on October 16 last year.

He also admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

When he last appeared at court, Judge Richard Williams asked for a pre-sentence report, but the Probation Service thought they had to wait for the psychiatric report.

Ms Wynn Morgan said the psychiatrist was not able to get into the prison due to pandemic restrictions.

He said video link should be used as a “last resort” as he would not be able to spend as much time with the defendant as he would need.

Judge Lloyd-Clarke said she did not think it was necessary to ask the prison to produce Price on the video link with additional measures in place when the hearing could not go ahead.

She adjourned the case until May 6 for the reports to be put together and said: “Thank you very much. That concludes the hearing.”