Behindtheheadlines BEHIND BARS
These are some of the criminals sent to prison in Wales in May
MICHAEL WHEELER AND MELISSA PESTICCIO A pair whose terrifying car pursuit of a young woman through Cardiff caused her death and left her passenger with horrific injuries were sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison.
Michael Wheeler, 23, from Harlech Road, pleaded guilty last December to causing the death of his ex-girlfriend Sophie Taylor and serious injury to Joshua Deguara by driving dangerously.
His former partner Melissa Pesticcio, 24, from Marshfield Road, denied the offences, but was convicted by a jury following a twoweek trial. ADELE MANSELL AND CHRISTINE VAUGHAN Vaughan was jailed for draining her elderly mum’s account of £20,000, while granddaughter Mansell stole cash for a holiday and drugs.
The pair were sentenced at Merthyr Crown Court for the crimes against the vulnerable pensioner. CRAIG EVANS The businessman who had sex with a 14-year-old schoolgirl was jailed for five years.
The 25-year-old, of Tylorstown, Rhondda, had pretended to be on business trips but was spending the night at Premier Inns and Travelodges with the teenager, Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard. LEON WELLS, ROWAN HOWELLS AND AARTHUR NUHIALLARI The trio were jailed for trying to bring “significant” amounts of cannabis into South Wales.
Police found they had become involved with criminals in London in a bid to bring the drugs down the M4. KEVIN TURNER The 53-year-old child rapist has been locked up for 20 years for a sickening string of sexual crimes.
Pervert Kevin John Turner, of Felindre in Swansea, subjected the girl to the torment over a four-year period.
His catalogue of crimes include eight counts of rape, three counts of sexual activity with a child, four counts of sexual assault and possession of indecent images of a child. He was jailed at Swansea Crown Court. RICHARD BARLOW The paedophile was jailed for 12 months for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.
He had been banned from being within 50 metres of any children’s play area but was found standing outside a Bangor play centre. ANTHONY AND CHAD STAGG The father and son were jailed over the racist attack on a Polish man in Connah’s Quay.
Przemyslaw Zylinksi was set upon by a group of thugs armed with a hammer. MICHAEL STEPHENS The 28-year-old was jailed for lighting petrol bombs near homes and cars on a large housing estate and trying to claim it was “an accident”.
He received an extended sentence at Cardiff Crown Court for making or possessing an explosive substance following the incident in Bridgend last year. KENECHI AND OLUCHI OCHEREOBIA The brothers, who ran a network of drugs couriers, were caught after Kenechi was pictured posing with large amounts of cash he had made from supplying heroin and crack cocaine in Cardiff. Officers found around £23,000 in cash hidden in Kenechi’s Cardiff home last October, as well as the pictures. LEROY PARRY The attacker growled like a dog and bit a terrified police officer after taking the “zombie drug” Spice.
The 24-year-old was jailed for his savage attack – snarling and frothing at the mouth when he sank his teeth into the officer’s arm. ALED EVANS The creeper burglar was jailed after being caught and identified by images from CCTV. In one burglary he was spotted by a nine-year-old girl who was so frightened she no longer wants to live in her home. IAN MITCHELL The jailed sex offender is back behind bars after being found with indecent images and pictures of children taking part in school nativity plays when officers searched his prison cell. MARCUS LEWIS The prolific burglar is back behind bars after committing his 18th and 19th break-ins.
Marcus Lewis broke into two cafes in Port Talbot in the space of a month, stealing food, charity boxes and a staff tips jar. AABID ALI The Wrexham binman was jailed for a string of terror offences.
A court in Manchester heard how the 49-year-old changed his name from Darren Glennon after he was “deeply radicalised”. DANIEL JONES The drug addict was jailed for trying to rob a hotel in Newport using a water pistol.
The 37-year-old passed a note to a terrified receptionist telling her: “I have a gun. Give me the money.” STEVEN JONES AND BEDWYR ROBERTS The rogue builders who conned elderly and vulnerable householders into paying huge bills have been jailed for what a judge called “merciless deceit”. TRYELL PARRY AND MARK EVANS A holidaymaker returned from two weeks in the sun to find the pair of burglars had been sleeping in his bed while he was away. They were jailed. DAVID VAUGHAN JONES The former solicitor turned tax consultant was jailed for six years after he fiddled clients to the tune of almost £1.5m. JULIA AVAIENT The burglar broke into a woman’s house the day after she died, and then wore her coat to the bank while using her stolen card to withdraw hundreds of pounds.
Avaient, 39, of Flemingston Road, St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, was jailed for 20 months after admitting joint burglary, fraud and attempted fraud. ELVIS GASKIN Knife-carrying Gaskin, who subjected a train passenger to explicit sexual remarks before trying to entice her into a toilet, was jailed for four months and ordered to pay £115 compensation and £85 court costs. RHYS RANDALL, RHYS JERVIS AND COURTNEY DONALDSON The trio were sentenced for conspiracy to commit robbery after Rhys Randall burst into a Maesteg shop demanding money and brandishing what appeared to be a handgun.
Randall, 23, admitted conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of an imitation firearm and was jailed for five years.
Rhys Jervis, 22, was sentenced to three years after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Courtney Donaldson, 19, was also found guilty of the robbery charge and sentenced to three years. KRISTIAN EVANS The serial burglar was caught “redhanded” with party bags stolen from an autistic boy’s home and was jailed for 10 months.
Evans, 35, of Frampton Road, Gorseinon, was caught red-handed with the items which had been stolen the day before. ARON BROWNING, JORDAN CROOK, NIKE BENSON AND LEIGHTON SMITH Browning, 27, had told police who searched his Cardiff home that cocaine was “in the safe” and that “there’s a lot of it”.
He was jailed for his role in a conspiracy to supply the Class A drug.
Crook, 27, Benson, 27, and Smith, 30, were also jailed for drug offences. ASHLEY JORDAN CANN Cann was under the influence of cannabis when he lost control of his car and crashed into two stationary vehicles after attempting to evade police.
He was awaiting a court date to be sentenced for driving under the influence of the drug when he was spotted by officers on Gorseinon Road in Penllergaer after once again having smoked cannabis.
Cann, 20, was sentenced to 20 weeks’ imprisonment as well as being disqualified from driving for two years. STEPHEN DANIEL BUTCHER Butcher was caught trespassing at a home by a mum who was up late breastfeeding.
Gemma Jones had been breastfeeding for around 10 minutes when she saw a dark shadow coming into the kitchen hallway.
Butcher, 26, of Heol Morfa Brenin, was sent to prison for six months after appearing at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court. JASON PIONTECKI Piontecki, who abused a young child in a live video stream for fellow paedophiles to watch, was jailed for nine years.
The 32-year-old was arrested following an investigation by the National Crime Agency last year. SAMATA ULLAH The cyber jihadi who created a “onestop shop for terrorists” from his Cardiff bedroom was jailed for eight years.
Ullah compiled a comprehensive “self-help” library of terror propaganda and provided guidance for terrorists to help them plan attacks and avoid detection.