JAMES BORRELLI/JOHNSON SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN CWMBRAN, FLEUR-DE-LYS AND RISCA

In a case that has shocked the communities of Cwmbran, Fleur-de-Lys, and Risca, James Borrelli, also known as James Jones, has been sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison for a series of heinous sexual offences involving young girls. The conviction follows a disturbing history of criminal behavior that spans over a decade, highlighting the ongoing threat posed by the offender to vulnerable minors in South Wales.

James Jones, who previously served a 13-year sentence for the brutal rape of a 12-year-old girl in a public toilet, was released from prison in November 2017. Despite his prior conviction, he quickly resumed his predatory behavior, asking young girls in the Blackwood area, which is near Fleur-de-Lys, if they wanted to engage in sexual acts. His actions came to light after he approached two girls aged 11 and 13 on November 18, 2018, asking them explicitly, “Do you want to have sex with me for a couple of hours?”

Later that same day, Borrelli targeted another girl, a 12-year-old, in Blackwood, expressing his desire to make love to her and inviting her to his home. His predatory conduct prompted police intervention, and officers entered his residence that evening after he refused to open the door. During the raid, officers discovered that Borrelli had taken a suspected overdose, leading to his hospitalization at Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital.

Victim impact statements presented during the court proceedings revealed the profound emotional toll his actions have inflicted on the victims’ families. One mother described the incident as having “a massive impact on our family,” underscoring the lasting trauma caused by Borrelli’s offenses.

Representing the defendant, Hashim Salmman, acknowledged that Borrelli had shown some remorse by pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. He also pointed out that the offender had not used threats or violence in his recent crimes and expressed that Borrelli misses his family, whom he has not seen since his last conviction. The court was informed that Borrelli suffers from depression and has a history of self-harm, further illustrating his troubled mental state.

Judge Neil Bidder QC addressed Borrelli directly, recalling his earlier conviction in April 2004 for a particularly horrific assault on a 12-year-old girl. The judge detailed how Borrelli had followed her into a public toilet, gagged her with tape, and raped her, actions that marked one of the most severe sexual assaults in Gwent’s history. The judge emphasized that Borrelli’s unhealthy interest in young girls persisted over the years.

Although Borrelli faced the possibility of a life sentence, the judge decided to impose an extended custodial term to protect the public, especially young teenage girls. Borrelli was sentenced to 14 years and eight months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Additional context reveals that Borrelli, who was living in St Dials, Cwmbran as of July 2018, had a history of violent and sexual offenses dating back to May 2004. The police investigation into the 2004 incident described it as “the most horrendous sexual assault,” involving the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Risca’s public toilets. Detective Superintendent Ray Wise praised the efforts of over 40 officers who worked tirelessly to apprehend Borrelli within a week of the offence, highlighting the seriousness with which law enforcement treated the case.

Further details emerged from the court proceedings concerning Borrelli’s 2018 attack, which occurred after a dispute with his partner, Michael Walsh, 51, of Tredegar Street, Risca. Borrelli, then 21, had gone to Tredegar Park to “cool down” and encountered a girl on her way home from school. He grabbed her, placed tape over her mouth, and sexually assaulted her in a cubicle before raping her twice outside the toilet. The victim, who was visibly upset and crying, was threatened by Borrelli, who told her to “shut up or he would kill her.”

Forensic evidence linked Borrelli to the scene through DNA analysis, and he subsequently admitted to raping a female under 16. His co-defendant, Walsh, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by providing a false alibi and denying knowledge of Borrelli’s whereabouts during the attack. Borrelli’s sentencing for this offence is pending, but he has already been convicted of multiple sexual crimes involving minors, underscoring the severity of his criminal history and the ongoing danger he poses to the community.