In June 2026, 105 individuals were sentenced to prison in Wales for serious crimes, including six people who received life sentences for the murder of Joanne Penney in Talbot Green and 26 participants in the Ely riots who collectively received over 137 years in custody.
Murder of Joanne Penney
Six people were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Joanne Penney, 40, who was shot at point-blank range on March 9, 2025, in Llys Illtyd, Talbot Green. The bullet penetrated her heart and left lung. Marcus Huntley, 21, pleaded guilty to pulling the trigger. Jordan Mills-Smith, 34, Joshua Gordon, 28, Kristina Ginova, 22, and Melissa Quailey-Dashper, 40, were found guilty of murder. Renaldo Baptiste, 39, who orchestrated the killing from his prison cell while serving a life sentence for a murder in Leicester, was also convicted. The court heard the killing stemmed from a clash between rival organised crime groups, one led by Joshua Gordon of the 'Rico OCG'. Huntley received a minimum term of 27 years, Baptiste 42 years, Gordon 32 years, Mills-Smith 27 years, Quailey-Dashper 14 years, and Ginova 12 years.
Ely Riots Sentencings
Twenty-six individuals were sentenced for their roles in the Ely riots that erupted after the deaths of Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, in an e-bike collision on May 22, 2023. The riots injured 31 police officers and one civilian. Sentences ranged from three years and eight months to six years and nine months. Notable cases include Liam Black, 21, sentenced to six years and nine months for throwing missiles and a burning plank at police; Ashdon O'Dare, 28, sentenced to six years and six months for being 'instrumental in striking the match which lit the fuse'; and Lee-Martin McQuade, 30, sentenced to six years and four months for inciting violence and preparing petrol bombs. During McQuade's sentencing, a man in the public gallery raised his thumb and said 'Love you Lee,' prompting the judge to order the removal of face masks.
Sexual Offences and Child Abuse
Ali Namjo, 36, was sentenced to 16 years as an offender of particular concern for sexually abusing a girl. The court heard heartbreaking statements from the victim and her mother; the girl said Namjo 'ruined my life' and that she 'hates him more than red peppers and vegetables.' Thomas Jenkins, a former junior doctor, was jailed for possessing videos of toddlers being raped and chatting about child sexual abuse. The judge described him as 'a committed and dangerous paedophile' and noted he had received a community order in 2017 for similar offences, calling that sentence 'quite frankly astonishing.' Russell Brookman, 46, tried to arrange sexual contact with a 10-year-old girl via encrypted apps and was jailed. David Lewis, 42, was caught with hundreds of child sex abuse images and reoffended while on bail, chatting with a decoy he thought was a 12-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 60 months.
Violent Crimes
Elizabeth Jones, 26, attacked an old school friend with a knife and choked her after losing her temper 'in a quite startling way.' She was found hiding in a cupboard and later 'made up a fairy tale' about the incident. Andrew Perry, who crashed and killed 84-year-old Gaynor James while driving with severely impaired eyesight for two decades, was sentenced to six years and 10 months and banned from driving for life. Dominik Szymanski, 47, raped and beat a vulnerable woman before dumping her in a lift; his victim died the day after giving evidence against him. He received a 16-year extended sentence. Dean Berg, 49, headbutted and throttled his partner, leaving her with a collapsed lung and displaced shoulder; he refused to attend court and replied 'Not really' when asked if he had anything to say.
Fraud and Theft
Matthew Holloway, a DVLA employee, altered vehicle records to boost car values for dealers Ashley Harris and Joshua Sawyer, causing almost £1.3m in dodgy documents. The judge called it 'an example of organised crime.' Holloway was sentenced to five years and three months, Harris to two years and eight months, and Sawyer to two years and four months. Andrew Eburne, boss of Doctors on Wheels Ltd, issued dodgy medical certificates for lorry and bus licences, with exams conducted in vans in laybys and car parks. He was jailed for four years. Thomas Ashton, Stewart Jones, and Matthew Membury stole nearly 49 tons of tin ingots worth £1.2m from Tata Steel in Llanelli; none of the metal has been recovered.
Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control
Adam Wiggins, a serial domestic abuser, was jailed for harassing his former partner while serving a suspended sentence for attacking the same woman. The judge noted his previous convictions for battery of other partners. Ethan-Lee Sebastian-Jones, 24, walked around the house with a pellet gun to intimidate his partner and held it to her head, part of a coercive regime that left her feeling like a 'broken shell.' He was sentenced to 16 months. Matthew King, 47, brutally beat his partner in front of their daughter during a weekend away, and the judge noted his 'victim blaming.'
Drug Offences
Marcus Howell, a former Tata Steel worker, turned to cocaine and amphetamine dealing after losing his job; he was sentenced to 45 months. His nephew Levi Andrews received 30 months. David Pickersgill and his son Stefan ran a cocaine supply operation together, even doing business on Christmas Day. The judge called it 'dispiriting' to see a father and son in the dock. Christopher Mason-Jones, who had served a life sentence for the 2005 murder of Shirley Oliver, was caught with over 2.5 kilos of cannabis and ketamine and sentenced to 22 months.
Other Notable Cases
Michael Uncles, almost four times the drink-drive limit, left two police officers seriously injured after an illegal manoeuvre; one officer 'genuinely thought he was going to die.' Uncles was sentenced to two years and four months. John Robinson, handcuffed in his car, sped away with doors open after police found a firearm; he was jailed for 12 months. Corey Morgan, 21, repeatedly rammed a car driven by a pregnant woman with her infant son in the back seat; he was sentenced to eight months. The judge in Simeon Richards' case questioned why he was not charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after he hit a child 'six feet into the air' on an off-road bike, describing the maximum sentence as 'woefully inadequate.'
