Swansea Crown Court has heard that a mother along with her three sons assaulted a family who were out enjoying a night in Neath town center.
Kelly Jones, along with her sons Corey, Dominic, and Ben, attacked the group while bystanders watched. The victims, who were participating in a “Christmas jumper night” on the night of December 3 to December 4, 2021, included a father, mother, their daughter, and the daughter’s partner.
The attack, which began at around 1:40 am in Topolis pizza takeaway on The Parade, was initiated by an unknown male’s derogatory comment about the daughter’s weight. This incident then escalated into a sustained assault on the victims outside the establishment, involving shoving, repeated punches, and kicks by the Jones family. The assault resulted in one victim losing consciousness, losing five teeth, and facing a substantial dental bill of £17,000. Hannah George, the prosecutor, presented these details at Swansea Crown Court.
The father of the family suffered the most severe injuries during the incident, as he was forcefully brought to the ground and subjected to multiple kicks and punches to his body and head. There is reason to believe that he briefly lost consciousness during the assault. The daughter attempted to shield her father from the relentless attack by positioning her body over his head, but she, too, was targeted and assaulted.
In recounting the events, the family’s mother described the behaviour of the Joneses as resembling that of “wild animals.”
As soon as police were summoned to The Parade, the Jones family dispersed into the crowd upon seeing the flashing blue lights of the officers’ cars and vans. Corey Jones even took his mother’s coat and put it on, while Dominic Jones removed his distinctive yellow and black jacket. Subsequently, the daughter of the family was able to identify one of the assailants through social media, and on December 12 and December 13, the Jones family members were apprehended and subjected to police interviews.
Kelly Jones, aged 43, Corey Jones, aged 26, and 23-year-old Dominic Jones, all residing at Warren Close, Penrhiwtyn, Neath, had previously admitted to charges of affray when they appeared in court for their sentencing. Kelly Jones has a prior criminal record, with seven previous convictions encompassing ten offenses, including battery, assaulting an emergency worker, and public order violations. Corey Jones has four previous convictions for six offenses, including three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and burglary with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. Dominic Jones has one prior conviction for burglary, an offense he committed alongside his older brother, Corey. Ben Jones, aged 21, residing at Golwg y Dre, Neath, also pleaded guilty to affray and has no previous criminal convictions.
Ieuan Rees, representing Kelly Jones, acknowledged that the mother of nine was under the influence of alcohol on the night in question and expressed profound shame for her actions. Rees noted that one of the defendants had confronted the individual who made derogatory comments about the daughter’s weight in the takeaway. However, he conceded that this did not justify the subsequent assault on the daughter and her family by the Joneses. Steve Burnell, representing Corey Jones, highlighted that the defendant had been cooperating well with probation following his release from prison. On the night in question, Corey had consumed “eight or nine pints” and deeply regretted not walking away from the situation. Burnell also mentioned that since the incident in Neath, his client had become a father and now has a one-year-old son.
David Singh, representing Dominic Jones, acknowledged that his client had played a role in what he described as an “appalling incident” and expressed deep remorse for his participation. Singh pointed out that Dominic is a father of three children and plays a significant role in their lives. He is also in a long-term relationship with a woman who has two children of her own.
Andrew Evans, representing Ben Jones, mentioned that his client was 19 years old at the time of the disturbance and accepts that his behavior was “completely unreasonable” regardless of the circumstances surrounding the incident in the takeaway. Evans also noted that Ben has a one-year-old son and is expecting another child with his partner.
Judge Christopher Vosper KC remarked that it remained unclear how the incident in the takeaway escalated to the violence witnessed on the streets of Neath. He also acknowledged the involvement of all four defendants at various stages. Furthermore, the judge noted the delay in the case, which he attributed to factors unrelated to the defendants. Consequently, he indicated that they would receive an appropriate reduction in their sentences due to this delay.
Corey Jones received an 18-month prison sentence, which was reduced by one-third due to his guilty plea, and further reduced by four months to account for the case delay. He will serve up to half of this sentence in custody before being released on license to complete the remainder in the community.
Dominic Jones was sentenced to 15 months in prison, reduced by one-third for his guilty plea and by three months for the case delay. Similar to Corey, he will serve up to half of his sentence in custody before being released on license for the remaining period.
For Ben Jones, the judge expressed confidence in his potential for rehabilitation. Therefore, Ben received a nine-month prison sentence, which was reduced by one-third for his guilty plea and by three months for the case delay. However, this sentence was suspended for two years, and he was mandated to complete a rehabilitation program.
Regarding Kelly Jones, the judge had reservations about her prospects for rehabilitation but expressed concern for her young child who still lived at home. Kelly received a 15-month prison sentence, with a one-third reduction for her guilty plea and a three-month reduction for the case delay. However, her sentence was also suspended for two years, and she was ordered to complete a rehabilitation program, along with a 90-day alcohol monitoring requirement.
