Colette Hume

The Court of Appeal rejected a bid to increase the sentences of Marcus Staniforth and a 16-year-old convicted of murdering Kamran Aman in an unprovoked racist attack in Barry. Staniforth received 17 years in prison and the younger defendant 15 years. The court concluded that the trial judge had properly considered the seriousness of the crime and the individual circumstances of both children. Aman was stabbed once in the heart after delivering groceries to his mother, while the court heard that the defendants had been drinking or using drugs and that Staniforth attempted to wash the knife with bleach.

A Cardiff businesswoman, Rupali Wagh, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than £200,000 in Covid Bounce Back Loans by overstating business turnovers and diverting the funds for personal use, including debt repayment and stock investments. The court found she repeatedly made false declarations across several companies between May and September 2020. Prosecutors detailed how the funds were transferred into personal accounts, while the Insolvency Service said she systematically exploited a scheme meant to support struggling firms during the pandemic.

A Welsh man who encouraged hoax emergency calls triggering armed police responses was sentenced to two years and three months after FBI investigators identified him in online chat rooms. The incidents included false bomb threats to Los Angeles police and a Cardiff hotel, prompting evacuations and major police responses. His devices contained phishing tools designed for fraud on dark web users. Authorities warned that swatting poses serious risks and diverts emergency resources.

A man from Talbot Green was sentenced to two years and three months for encouraging hoax emergency calls that triggered armed police responses in the US and Wales. Identified by the FBI, he admitted running online groups promoting swatting and possessing phishing tools designed for fraud. The incidents included false bomb threats to Los Angeles police and a Cardiff journalist. Authorities warned the hoaxes endangered the public and diverted emergency services. He will serve 40% of the sentence in prison and the remainder on licence.