July 2024: Most shocking court cases heard in Herefordshire

THE Hereford Times team has covered many cases in the last month, in both the crown and magistrates' courts.

We've selected some of the most shocking cases we have reported on throughout July.

Here are those cases, and the sentences they resulted in.

Bodybuilder jailed after botched surgery claim

Sean Murphy

A Herefordshire bodybuilder who claimed that a botched operation left him disabled has been jailed after he was caught out by pictures and videos of him lifting weights and playing rugby.

Sean Murphy, 39, of Ross-on-Wye, underwent surgery after tearing a bicep tendon while playing rugby in 2017. But he claimed the operation had left him unable to play rugby, work as a builder or dress himself as a result of damage to his elbow and sued the Wye Valley NHS Trust for £580,000.

However, his claim was dismissed in 2022 after pictures and videos of him back on the rugby pitch and lifting weights surfaced on Facebook, including one of him curling a barbell to '80s hit Karma Chameleon and more of him playing rugby for Ross-on-Wye's second team.

Cocaine dealer told police ‘I like a sniff’ in confession

Niall Wilding (Image: Gwent Police)

A drug dealer told arresting police officers ‘I like a sniff’ when they found cocaine in his house.

Niall Wilding, 23, made the confession during a raid at his home in the Rhymney area of Caerphilly.

After being shut down in Gwent in July 2023, the defendant upped sticks and moved his operation to Hereford after being released under investigation.

Man jailed for domestic abuse offences

Janed Khan (Image: West Mercia Police)

A man has been jailed for domestic abuse offences in Herefordshire.

Janed Khan has been sentenced to three years and nine months for domestic abuse offences relating to an incident in the Weobley area of Herefordshire in 2023.

Khan, of Amberley Grove, Birmingham, was found guilty in June of engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, stalking, harassment, burglary and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Thief jailed and banned from list of shops

A thief has been jailed and banned from Herefordshire shops after stealing wine.

Jason Wargen admitted six counts of theft from a shop, three counts of failing to comply with a community protection notice and one count of assault by beating when he appeared before magistrates in Kidderminster.

The 49-year-old has been jailed for 48 weeks.

Wargen, of South Street, Leominster, was also handed a three-year criminal behaviour order banning him from all Co-Op supermarkets, Aldi supermarkets and Spar shops in Herefordshire as well as Savers, Subway and Applegreen in Leominster.

Paedophile guilty of nine child sex offences and 'extreme animal porn'

A paedophile who admitted nine child sex offences will be sentenced for abusing a child and possessing extreme pornography.

He was also caught discussing the sexual abuse of children in a chat log on the social media site Telegram.

Kyle Hughes, 31, of Trilleck Avenue, Hereford, will be sentenced on August 21 at Worcester Crown Court after admitting a total of 10 offences at Hereford Magistrates’ Court on July 24, including one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a boy under the age of 13 and one count of attempting to cause him to engage in sexual activity.

Homeless man jailed for incident at cottage

A homeless man has been jailed after he broke a restraining order by going to a Herefordshire cottage that he was banned from visiting.

Tommie Jennings breached the restraining order in Wilton, near Ross-on-Wye, on July 17, according to prosecutor Thomas Wickstead.

Jennings, 25, who is of no fixed address, has been jailed for eight weeks for "failing to comply with the requirements of post-custodial sentence supervision and because he has a flagrant disregard for court orders."