IDWAL JONES FROM NANTLLE FAKED HIS OWN DEATH TO ESCAPE JUSTICE IN GWYNEDD AND THAILAND

In March 2014, a dramatic case unfolded involving Idwal Jones, a man from Nantlle, who went to extraordinary lengths to evade justice after being accused of serious sexual offenses. The incident began in 2004 when Jones was charged with fondling the breasts of an 11-year-old girl. Overcome with fear of imprisonment, Jones took a drastic step that would have lasting repercussions.

According to court reports, Jones left his clothing, shoes, and a bottle of prescribed pills at the edge of Dorothea Quarry, a deep lake located in the Nantlle Valley of Gwynedd. His actions appeared to be an attempt to stage his own death, prompting a lengthy and costly search by police and underwater search teams. The authorities spent hours scouring the waters of the quarry, believing they might recover his body. However, subsequent investigations revealed that Jones was very much alive and had been residing in Thailand for nearly a decade.

Jones was eventually extradited back to the UK under a European arrest warrant and appeared before Mold Crown Court. Despite the gravity of his past actions, the court decided not to impose a custodial sentence. The presiding judge, David Hale, explained that the sentencing guidelines did not recommend imprisonment for the charges he faced. The court took into account that Jones had been in custody since August of the previous year, including several months spent in a Thai prison where conditions were reportedly harsh, with limited food and shackles used at night.

At the time of the offenses, Jones, then 57 years old and residing at Plas Gwernoer in Nantlle, admitted to two charges of sexual activity with a child. The court sentenced him to a three-year community order, which included supervision and participation in a community sex offender group work program. Additionally, Jones was ordered to register as a sex offender with the police for five years, and a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) was imposed.

Judge Hale did not hold back in criticizing Jones, describing him as “an extremely stupid and foolish man” for succumbing to temptation and engaging in inappropriate conduct with the young girl on two separate occasions. The judge emphasized the profound impact these actions had on the victim, who is now in her early twenties. The victim recounted how her mother became more protective following the incident, which led to her rebelling and experiencing various difficulties in her life.

The court heard that in the summer of 2004, the victim disclosed that Jones had deliberately touched and fondled her breasts on two occasions. Police responded swiftly, arresting Jones at his home. During the police caution, he reacted with shock, exclaiming “Oh my God,” and refused to be interviewed. He was released on bail pending a full interview with the victim. However, on August 7, 2004, Jones’s clothing, shoes, and a bottle of prescribed medication were found scattered at Dorothea Quarry. Two days later, he failed to answer his bail, and investigations confirmed that he had fled to Thailand, where his partner and children had also followed him at one point.

Further complicating the case, in 2011, an European arrest warrant was issued for Jones. He was finally apprehended on August 2 of the previous year. The court also revealed that in 2004, over 700 indecent images of children had been discovered on his computer. However, he was not extradited for those offenses, and as a result, he could not be prosecuted for them now.

Defense lawyer Brett Williamson described Jones as a “man of good character,” noting that he had spent 227 days in custody. He also highlighted the difficulties Jones faced during his time in a Thai jail, where he was reportedly given limited food, primarily rice. Williamson expressed remorse on behalf of his client, emphasizing that Jones was genuinely sorry for his actions and was now facing the consequences of his past behavior.