Sentencing of Nerys Lloyd continues at Swansea Crown Court
A FORMER police officer who led a group paddleboarding trip that ended in tragedy has been heavily criticised by victims’ families during sentencing proceedings at Swansea Crown Court.
Nerys Lloyd, 39, admitted four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and a breach of health and safety laws, following the deaths of four people on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest in October 2021.
The trip, which had been advertised online at £149 per person including accommodation and supervision, ended in disaster when the group were swept over a weir during dangerous river conditions.
The victims were Morgan Rogers, 24, Nicola Wheatley, 40, Andrea Powell, 41, and Lloyd’s co-instructor, Paul O’Dwyer, 42. All were described as beginner or intermediate paddleboarders, with little knowledge of the hazard ahead.
The court heard the river was in flood at the time, with a strong current and a dangerous drop of around 1.3 metres over the weir, except for a narrow fish ramp just wider than a paddleboard.
Prosecutor Mark Watson KC said Lloyd had only a basic instructor qualification, which was not appropriate for guiding a group on a river in such conditions. He told the court nearly two tonnes of water per second was flowing over a one metre-wide section of the weir at the time.
Lloyd was the only member of the group who successfully navigated the fish ramp. The others were swept over the weir and thrown into the fast-moving water.
Families of the victims have condemned Lloyd’s decision to lead the group out in such conditions, calling her actions reckless and accusing her of showing no remorse.
Andrea Powell’s husband, Mark, said his wife would have experienced “sheer panic” and described Lloyd’s failings as “monumental,” labelling her arrogant and careless.
Teresa Hall, mother of Morgan Rogers, told the court: “You guided Morgan to her death,” and described the agony of imagining her daughter struggling to breathe.
Survivor Gemma Cox gave a harrowing account of trying to rescue fellow paddleboarders, saying she had no idea what a weir was and would never have joined the trip had she known.
Another survivor, Melody Johns, called for better safety awareness and regulation, warning that many boards are sold without quick-release leashes that could save lives. A third survivor, Jemma Dugdale, urged organisations including Paddle UK, Paddle Cymru, Sport Wales and Sport England to take action to prevent similar tragedies.
The court also heard that Lloyd was suspended from South Wales Police at the time of the incident, following a caution for an unrelated fraudulent insurance claim. She had not carried out risk assessments or collected next-of-kin information before the trip, causing delays in informing families after the incident.
Following the deaths, Lloyd reportedly said: “It’s my fault 100% … I just turned around and they all fell over.”
The sentencing hearing is due to conclude on Wednesday (Apr 23).
