Josef Deniro Ward, a 27-year-old man from Pontyclun in south Wales, was found dead in the back of a car on June 26, 2026, after smoking crack cocaine and falling asleep following an altercation with other men. The incident occurred in the village of Beddau, where police and paramedics were called in the early hours of the morning.
Inquest Opening Details
An inquest opening at Pontypridd Coroners' Court on July 2 heard that Mr. Ward had been out socialising on June 25 and had smoked crack cocaine. After an altercation with other males, he was given a lift and fell asleep in the rear passenger seat. He was later found dead in the same vehicle by a friend in Beddau. The brief hearing confirmed that third-party involvement had been negated.
Area coroner Rachel Knight offered condolences to Mr. Ward's family and stated that a full inquest was necessary because there was reason to suspect his death had been unnatural. A post-mortem examination was conducted by Dr. Stephen Leadbetter at the University Hospital of Wales, with a provisional cause of death pending further investigation.
Police Investigation and Arrests
South Wales Police previously confirmed that investigations were ongoing to determine if Mr. Ward's death was linked to an earlier disturbance in Beddau. On June 25, there was a disturbance between several men on Woodland Road, leading to the arrests of five men. A police spokeswoman said: "South Wales Police was called to an address on Moorland Crescent in Beddau at 1am on the morning of Friday, June 26, to reports of a man having a medical episode. Despite the best efforts of paramedics the man was declared deceased at the scene. Investigations into the cause of the death are ongoing."
The arrests included a 49-year-old man from Ferndale on suspicion of affray and possession of a controlled Class C drug (bailed); a 40-year-old man from Ferndale on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent (bailed); a 41-year-old man from Beddau on suspicion of affray (in custody); a 37-year-old man from Beddau on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent (bailed); and a 43-year-old man from Talbot Green on suspicion of inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and affray (in custody). Officers are still investigating if the offences are linked.
Background: Previous Conviction
Josef Ward had a prior conviction from June 2019 at Cardiff Crown Court for allowing his father, Brian Ward, to hide from police officers in his house. Brian Ward was described as one of the UK's most wanted men by Crimestoppers after he fled during a trial at Newport Crown Court in November 2013, where a jury found him guilty in his absence of gross indecency with a child under 16 and four counts of indecent assault on a female.
Police found Brian Ward in December 2018 at Josef Ward's property on Dunraven Road in Cardiff, where the father had been hiding behind a cavity wall. Josef Ward pleaded guilty to hiding his father without lawful authority or reasonable excuse with intent to impede his apprehension or prosecution. Brian Ward was sentenced to five years and 20 weeks imprisonment. Josef Ward received an eight-month detention sentence in a young offender institution, suspended for a year, with a curfew between 8pm and 6:30am and a £140 victim surcharge.
