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More than two dozen offenders were locked up by courts across Wales last week for crimes ranging from rape and drug dealing to arson and fatal neglect. The cases heard at crown courts in Cardiff, Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil, Mold and Caernarfon between Monday, March 16 and Sunday, March 22 resulted in sentences totalling well over 100 years behind bars. Here is a round-up of those who were jailed.
Sexual offences
Talha Ahmadzai, 33, of Haverfordwest, raped a woman and a schoolboy and attempted to rape a schoolgirl in Wales. The Afghan refugee pleaded guilty to multiple charges at Swansea Crown Court and was sentenced to 21 years and seven months as an offender of particular concern. Deportation is being considered.
Julian Hobbs, 36, of Cathays, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with a three-year extended period after being found guilty of multiple sexual offences against a girl under 13, including three counts of rape. The victim disclosed the abuse to a teacher at her school, prompting the investigation.
Andrew Wisbey, 27, of Chepstow, has been sentenced to nine years in custody with a three-year extended licence after raping a 14-year-old girl. Wisbey was 22 when he snatched the victim and drove her to an isolated rural location before attacking her in 2021. He was found guilty at Cardiff Crown Court following a trial.
Jason Bailey, 48, of Porthcawl, has been jailed for six years after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault against a woman at a flat in August 2023. Cardiff Crown Court heard Bailey had deliberately exploited a power imbalance over his victim. Police praised the victim’s bravery in coming forward.
David Cwiklinski, 52, from Magor, Monmouthshire, a convicted sex offender, was jailed for three years and two months after amassing 998 indecent images and videos of children just months after his release from prison. He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of making or possessing indecent images and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for life.
Prasad Saravanan, 24, of Swansea, groomed a 13-year-old girl he met while working in a shop, later contacting her via Snapchat and WhatsApp. He attempted to lure her to his home for sexual activity, but the girl’s mother uncovered the plan and alerted police. He was sentenced to 31 months at Swansea Crown Court.
Mike Jones, formerly known as Mark Baker, of Briton Ferry, was jailed for 30 months at Swansea Crown Court after using dating sites Mingle and Just Say Hi to send sexual messages to profiles he believed were underage girls. They were decoy accounts run by paedophile hunters. He had previously received a suspended sentence for similar offences in 2024.
Macauley Webb, 29, from Newport, a convicted sex offender with a decade-long history of child sex offences, was found with 11 indecent images of children on his phone just two months after being released early from an eight-year sentence. He was jailed for 28 months at Cardiff Crown Court and must register as a sex offender for life.
Drug offences
Daniel Booth, 35, from Milford Haven, was jailed for six years at Swansea Crown Court for supplying cocaine and cannabis. He was caught after packages of cocaine and cannabis were found hidden in a van he had sold. Phone messages revealed he had boasted about earning thousands from drug dealing.
Salem Khan, 21, of Canton, Cardiff, has been jailed for 2,045 days after admitting supplying heroin and crack cocaine for the third time. Police found drug-related messages on his phone, paraphernalia, and £1,715 in cash at his home. He pleaded guilty to two counts of Class A drug supply and possessing criminal property at Cardiff Crown Court.
Alex Jones, 31, of Newport, was jailed for four years and two months after being caught dealing cocaine and cannabis. He was arrested on Christmas Day 2025 in Bettws, found carrying cash and phones containing evidence he had been sending mass texts advertising drugs for sale. Jones had 25 previous convictions.
Anthony Edgell, 36, from Carmarthen, crashed his car and fled, leaving £5,000 worth of cannabis inside. He later called 999 and tried to hand himself in at a police station, but was told to return the next day. Officers also found heroin and cocaine linked to him. He was jailed for 36 months at Cardiff Crown Court.
Christopher McGrath, 44, of Cemaes, Anglesey, has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty at Caernarfon Crown Court to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. Officers discovered bulk messages on his phone advertising cocaine sent between July and December 2025. He was also given a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order.
Jack Ryan, 22, from Barry, was sentenced to 33 months in prison at Cardiff Crown Court for supplying cocaine. Ryan used the street name “Rhino” to send bulk text messages advertising drugs via burner phones. Police raided his home, finding cocaine, scales, and cash.
Violence and domestic abuse
James Badham, 34, of Rhymney, stabbed his 68-year-old neighbour with a lock knife after a parking dispute escalated. Badham kicked down the victim’s front door and attacked him, causing two stab wounds. At Cardiff Crown Court, he admitted wounding with intent and was jailed for three years and four months.
Mark Green, 38, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to three years in prison at Swansea Crown Court after throttling, biting, and assaulting his ex-partner on Christmas Day. Green, who has a previous manslaughter conviction in Ireland, attacked the woman after she invited him to stay over the festive period.
Cailum Hill, 22, from Mountain Ash, was jailed for 27 months at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court after being convicted of intentionally strangling his partner during a violent assault at her home. The judge branded him “an aggressive bully.” Hill was also made subject to a 10-year restraining order.
Conor Abraham, 27, of no fixed abode, has been jailed for 20 months after assaulting his mother at her Swansea home. He kicked, slapped, and spat at her before throwing a footstool which fractured her forearm. Abraham, who was already serving a sentence for a separate assault, also received a 10-year restraining order.
Weapons
Khoresh Ameni, 19, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after brandishing a machete at four people outside the Ibis hotel on Churchill Way, Cardiff. CCTV captured the incident on December 7 last year. Ameni, who has previous convictions for wounding and blade possession, pleaded guilty at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.
Scott Parry, 41, from Swansea, was jailed for 10 months after brandishing a machete during a confrontation in a communal corridor of a block of flats. Police identified him using facial recognition technology. He also admitted three shoplifting offences at Matalan totalling over £600 to fund a drug addiction.
Fathal Moshen, 38, of Pill, Newport, was sentenced to eight months in prison after being found carrying a Santoku kitchen knife on Bolt Street on January 7. Found guilty of possessing a bladed article in public, Moshen failed to attend sentencing, and District Judge Sophie Toms dealt with the case in his absence, also issuing an arrest warrant.
Arson
Leon Morris, 38, from Caerphilly, was jailed for six years after hurling a petrol bomb at an Indian restaurant in Blackwood while 10 people, including two children, slept above. The racially aggravated attack followed a dispute with the restaurant owner. Morris was found guilty of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.
Sam Francis, 28, of Tredegar, has been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to arson at Cardiff Crown Court. Francis admitted setting fire to a woman’s property on August 4, 2023, entering his plea on the day his trial was due to begin. He was also ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge.
Neglect and other offences
Alan Davies and Bernita Davies, both 60, from Pandy near Wrexham, were each sentenced to eight years in prison at Mold Crown Court after admitting causing or allowing the death of their daughter, Steffie Davies, 32. She died from sepsis caused by infected pressure ulcers, severe malnutrition and prolonged neglect at their home.
Craig Dudley, 38, from Townhill, Swansea, was caught handling stolen tools after a builder spotted his own equipment advertised on Facebook hours after a burglary. Dudley also admitted a public order offence involving threats to a neighbour. He was sentenced to 17 months in prison at Swansea Crown Court.
All of the sentences detailed above were handed down at crown courts across Wales during the week commencing March 16, 2026. Wales Updates will continue to report from courts across the country. If you have a story or tip, you can contact us through our website.
