May 2019 Matthew Tovey jailed for catalogue of sexual offences following re-trial A 40-year-old man from Pontypool has been jailed after being found guilty of a catalogue of sex offences. Matthew Tovey, of Elm Close, Trevethin, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison following a retrial at Swansea Crown Court. In January, Tovey had been acquitted of three rapes, 11 sexual assaults and two counts of sexual activity with a child at a trial at Newport Crown Court. The defendant denied all 23 counts against him during the eight-day trial at Newport Crown Court. However, the jury was unable to reach decisions on seven sexual assault charges relating to another complainant, and it was decided at a hearing in January that he would face a re-trial on those counts. In the re-trial heard at Swansea Crown Court, Tovey was found guilty of one count of sexual assault of a female over the age of 13, two counts of rape, one count of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16, where the offender is over the age 18, and three counts of sexual assault of a girl aged 13, 14 or 15/woman aged 16 or over. Judge Paul Thomas QC ordered Tovey was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and must pay a victim surcharge of £120