Five teens sentenced for violently assaulting members of the public - Neath, Wales

Five youths have been sentenced for Violent Disorder after an incident at Neath Railway Station

All five defendants, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions, pleaded guilty to the offence. Four were sentenced at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on 30 January and one on 9 January. They were each handed a nine-month youth referral notice and ordered to pay a total of over £600 in compensation, victim surcharge and court costs.

On 18 May 2019, one of the youths attempted to walk across the tracks at Neath Railway Station. When a member of the public challenged them, they - along with a group of other teenagers - assaulted the 50-year old woman and her husband.

Other members of the public who tried to assist also received minor injuries from the group.

Investigating officer DC Dan Murdoch said: “This was a shocking and appalling act of violence by a group of youths. The victim, who was concerned for the safety of the trespassing teen, was attacked along with her husband and other members of the public trying to diffuse the situation, leaving them with serious injuries.

“People have the right to travel safely and violence like this on the railway will not be tolerated. I hope this result teaches them a valuable lesson and stops them from committing any other offences in the future.

“We are working closely with other agencies on local initiatives to prevent this type of anti-social behaviour from happening again.”