Woman charged after town centre assault in Llanelli

Incident on Stepney Street

Police were called to Stepney Street at around 4pm on Wednesday, October 15, following reports of an assault.

A man aged 46 and a woman aged 45 were walking through the town centre when they were approached by 39‑year‑old Stacey Harries. A verbal altercation broke out, during which Harries headbutted the woman and struck her, before punching the man and pushing him to the ground.

Arrest and charges

Harries was arrested at the scene and later charged with two counts of common assault and one count of criminal damage.

She appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, October 16, where she pleaded guilty to all three charges. Harries was released on bail and is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on November 6 for sentencing.

Police statement

Inspector Thomas Coppock of Dyfed‑Powys Police said:

“We understand this incident might have caused concern to members of the public who witnessed it, and we are grateful for their support and cooperation in reporting it. This allowed us to act quickly in apprehending the offender. We want to reassure the community that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated; robust action will be taken to address this type of offending.”

Related assault cases

Man arrested after school assault
A 54‑year‑old man was arrested after an alleged assault at St Joseph’s Comprehensive in Aberavon. Police confirmed no knives were involved.

Police appeal after bus station assault
Officers are investigating after an 18‑year‑old man and a teenage girl were attacked by a group at Swansea City Bus Station.

Waunarlwydd woman jailed after city centre assault
Sarah Giffard, 32, was sentenced to three years in prison after a violent, unprovoked attack in Swansea city centre left a man with serious injuries.

Bonymaen man jailed for assault, knife and drugs offences
Benjamin Llewellyn, 39, was jailed for more than four years after being convicted of assault, possession of a knife and Class A drug supply offences.

#assault #DyfedPowysPolice #Llanelli #LlanelliAssault #LlanelliMagistratesCourt #StepneyStreet #SwanseaCrownCourt

Suspended sentence for Gorslas woman who poured boiling water and bleach on mice

28-year-old Carys Ann Roberts of Cross Hands Road, Gorslas pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

A court hearing at Llanelli Magistrates was told that on 20 August 2024 care-worker Roberts caused unnecessary suffering to a number of small rodents – believed to be seven wild mice –  by pouring boiling water and bleach on them resulting in burns and subsequent death.

The court heard that Roberts had messaged her work colleagues on a WhatsApp group to say what she was about to do and despite them asking her not to, she still went ahead and killed the mice.

It was heard that she poured approximately half a bottle of bleach in the wheelie bin before pouring the contents of the kettle – which included boiling water – on top. After about five minutes Roberts placed the bodies of the rodents into a bin bag and left the bin out for the binman for the next day.

The incident was reported to the police – who then informed the RSPCA.

Roberts appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on 17 April, where she apologised saying the incident was an error of judgement.

She was sentenced to 18 weeks of custody – suspended for 18 months, 200 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay £400 in costs and a £154 victim surcharge. Roberts was also disqualified from keeping all animals for seven years.

In his sentencing remarks the District Judge said that it was a serious offence and animals feel pain like us and are protected by law.

An independent expert veterinary report presented to the court said that boiling water would have caused “severe burns” and would result in “serious pain”.

The report – written by an expert vet – added: “If the burns are extensive and involve the majority of the skin surface then they are liable to be fatal. Equally depending on the quantity of water poured into the bin the rodents may potentially have drowned which would also have caused them pain, distress and suffering.”

In addition bleach would have caused “chemical burns”.

The court heard that there had been options for Roberts to access support services including a pest control company to ensure that the rodents were humanely euthanised and there was an offer by someone to release them away from the property that evening.

RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben said: “All animals – big and small – deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.

“These ​mice would have suffered greatly and would have died from this intentional action. There had been an offer to release them and ​she had been advised not to do what she did – however other measures were not sought and sadly these mice suffered unnecessarily.”

For those concerned about mice or other rodents in their home or garden, there are some simple and humane ways to deter them.

RSPCA Scientific & Policy Officer Rebecca Machin said: “There are several kinds of mouse in the UK, and they’re an important part of our wildlife.

“To deter mice around the home the most important thing is to remove sources of food which may attract rodents. Food should be kept in airtight and rodent-proof containers or cupboards, and make sure any crumbs are cleaned up. Cotton wool balls soaked in peppermint, eucalyptus or spearmint oil may also help deter rodents.

“If you find holes where they could be getting in, block them with ‘mouse mesh’, a kind of wire-wool rodents can’t nibble through. In the garden, plants like daffodils, wood hyacinth and alliums can help deter rodents. Keeping things tidy, and moving things like garden furniture around, can also help, as rodents are wary of unexpected changes.

“If deterrents don’t work, then a professional rodent controller will be able to remove rodents humanely. However, in the long run, it’s important to remove whatever attracted them in the first place, otherwise they may keep returning.”

#animalCruelty #animals #Carmarthenshire #featured #Gorslas #LlanelliMagistratesCourt #mice #RSPCA

Former Police CCTV operator charged with computer misuse offences

Russell Hasler appeared at Llanelli Magistrates Court today (5 March) to face the charges of controlling and coercive behaviour, data protection and computer misuse offences.

Dyfed Powys Police say that Hasler was arrested in 2023 by its Professional Standards Department officers who were investigating these offences.

Hasler had been a CCTV operator for Dyfed Powys Police since 2019, however he has since resigned from the force whilst under investigation for these offences, which took place between 2020 and 2022.

Following today’s hearing, Hasler was bailed to appear at Swansea Crown Court on April 4, 2025.

(Lead image: stock photo)

#CCTV #DyfedPowysPolice #LlanelliMagistratesCourt #SwanseaCrownCourt