A former paddleboard firm owner has been jailed for more than 10 years after the deaths of four people on a river in west Wales.
Paul O’Dwyer, Andrea Powell, Morgan Rogers and Nicola Wheatley died after paddleboarding in “extremely hazardous conditions” on the Western Cleddau river in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire in October 2021.
Nerys Bethan Lloyd, 39, an ex-police officer from Port Talbot, pleaded to gross negligence manslaughter last month.
She was sentenced to 10 years and six months after a two-day hearing at Swansea Crown Court.
Neither Lloyd nor Mr O’Dwyer were qualified to lead such a tour, Mrs Justice Stacey criticised the “abysmal” approach to health and safety during her sentencing remarks.
Citing her police and RNLI training, the judge said Lloyd she “knew better”, although acknowledged she was “horrified” at what happened.
