Five men went to 'extreme lengths' to try and stop two witnesses from giving evidence against them
A gang conspired to light a “potentially horrific” fire outside a family home to stop a woman from giving evidence at court.
Stephen Probert, Evan Beman, Cameron Davies, Damian Winnett and Callum Mogford all pleaded guilty to conspiring to pervert the course of justice by setting fire to cars.
But they also went to “extreme lengths” to try and stop two witnesses from attending court.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how Probert, Beman and Davies were on trial in February for a variety of offences, including the organised theft of vehicles and defrauding victims.
'Went to extreme lengths'
Prosecutor Tim Evans explained how Probert’s ex-partner Sandra Thomas was due to be a key witness in that trial, giving evidence about his “prolific dishonesty” and “team of criminals”.
Karen Cox – the sister of Sandra Thomas’ partner Jamie Cox – was also meant to be an important witness.
Mr Evans said: “These defendants went to extreme lengths to try and petrify two central witnesses into not attending court.”
The court heard Probert and Beman arranged for a third unknown person to set fire to several vehicles at Cars R Us in Aberdare , which was managed by Jamie Cox.
Prosecutors described it as a “dramatic, serious” attack and Mr Cox confirmed it had a “massive effect” on the family business.
Mr Evans said a Nissan worth £3,000 was completely gutted, while a Chevrolet worth £4,000 was also destroyed.
A £6,000 Citroen, a £5,000 Mini and a £5,000 Suzuki all had their windows smashed and petrol poured inside.
The prosecutor said: “The intention plainly was to terrify those two potential witnesses and pervert the course of the trial.”
He said police are still working to identify the arsonist.
Blaze was 'potentially horrific'
Mr Evans described Ms Thomas as a “courageous woman”, as she became more determined to give evidence at court following the attack.
Judge Patrick Curran QC said: “Her conduct deserves the highest commendation.”
The court heard there was a second incident around 10.30pm on March 14, after the three original defendants “recruited” Mogford and Winnett.
CCTV footage caught the pair pouring fuel on a car outside Ms Thomas and Mr Cox’s home in Cefn Forest and setting it alight, before making off in a car with Davies.
The prosecutor said Ms Thomas’ two young children were inside the property and described the blaze as “potentially horrific”.
He said: “It was clearly meant to intimidate Sandra Thomas, to make her fear for her life, and the lives of her family, and to persuade her to think again about court.”
Son no longer feels safe
Ms Thomas said she and her partner think constantly about what would have happened if the car had exploded and her son no longer feels safe in his own home.
Karen Cox said the incident had “destroyed” their family, saying she had become too scared to take her daughter to school.
She said: “When my brother Jamie’s car business was set alight, I knew that was a message to the whole family.”
The court heard Probert and Beman were linked to the offences by their phone calls, during which they spoke in a code described by prosecutors as “childish”.
They were heard to discuss two police witnesses who both felt it necessary to move house to protect their young families. Mr Evans stressed that no jurors had been targeted.
In a victim impact statement, one police officer said he and his family live in “constant fear” after the defendants tried to find out his address.
Mr Evans said: “In rare cases, some defendants consider themselves above the law.
“The prosecution suggest the violent, selfish, intimidating and outrageously dangerous bullying way these men behaved in this case was an extreme example of such behaviour.”
The 'undoubted ringleader'
Probert, 40, who does not have a fixed address, was jailed for 10 years after admitting two counts of arson and two counts of perverting the course of justice.
The judge described him as the “undoubted ringleader” and the court heard he had 93 previous convictions. He is currently serving a six-year sentence following the original trial.
His barrister Nigel Fryer stressed that no one was injured in the incident and said his client had shown remorse through his guilty pleas.
Beman, 39, from Ty Mawr Farm in Pontypool, was jailed for six years after pleading guilty to the same four charges.
The court heard he had 17 previous convictions and is currently serving three years after the first trial. Defence barrister David Elias described him as a “good family man”.
Davies, 24, from Vine Street in Abercarn, was jailed for four years following his guilty pleas to one count of arson and one count of perverting the course of justice.
The court heard he had 29 previous convictions and is currently serving a two-year sentence following the February trial.
His barrister Ashraf Khan said that contacting witnesses was not his idea and argued his client felt obliged to “play along with those higher up the criminal ladder”.
Mogford, 19, from Baillie Smith Avenue in Abertillery, who has 31 previous convictions, was jailed for three years and eight months after he admitted the same two charges.
Meirion Davies, defending Mogford, said: “He regrets getting involved in something that was clearly over his head.”
Winnett, 22, from Blaen Blodau Street in Newbridge, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to the same charges.
Defence counsel Hashim Salman stressed he had no previous convictions and was “ashamed” of his behaviour.
'Distressing investigation'
Judge Curran described the offences as “exceptionally dangerous” and commended the witnesses for their courage.
Senior investigating officer Nick Wilkie from Gwent Police said: "This has been a protracted, complex and sometimes distressing investigation into the activities of an organised crime group and the violence, fear and misery they have inflicted.
"The criminal gang would use and threaten violence as part of their criminality in order to intimidate witnesses and prevent them from attending court to give evidence against them.
"Again I would like to thank the witnesses in this case for having the courage to come forward to give evidence after everything they have been through."
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gang-lit-potentially-horrific-fire-11949505
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