Uned Rhyddid Gwybodaeth / Freedom of Information Unit Response Date:19/02/2021 2021/077 - Homicides In response to your recent request for information regarding; I would like to know the following information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for your police force area between the month of January 2008 and month of December 2020 (both inclusive). 1) The precise location, i.e., either A.) road name plus village/town/city plus postcode or B.) six digit grid reference number, of each established homicide (that is incidents of murder, manslaughter or infanticide). 2) The date of the respective incident (if not available, then the date of reporting). 3) The name of the victim or victims for each homicide. The preferred format of this information is in a table in excel or pdf file attached as a reply to this email. In case you do not hold these information retrospectively before a certain month-year, could you please both i.) provide the above data from the date you do hold the information and ii.) direct me to the relevant authority to obtain the remaining data back to January 2008? Please see the table below. Cause of death and details of the incident are in the newspaper articles. Please note, not all offenders were charged or found guilty of Murder. Additionally, concerns have been raised in relation to disclosing details in relation to three victims. Therefore, a public Interest Test has been carried out to weigh up the reasons for and against disclosure; to ensure the release is in the interest of the public as a whole and not just the applicant. The Public Interest Test has considered the following exemptions; Section 31 (1) Law Enforcement Section 38 (1) (a)(b) Health and Safety Both these exemptions are a prejudice based qualified exemptions, therefore there is a requirement to articulate the harm that would be caused in confirming or not that the information is held as well as carrying out a public interest test. Section 38 provides an exemption from disclosing information if it would endanger any individual (including the applicant, the supplier of the information or anyone else). • The exemption does not necessarily deal with what are commonly thought of as health and safety matters such as establishing the cause of an accident. • Section 38 focuses on two particular areas where disclosure of information would or would be likely to endanger: i. the physical or mental health of any individual, or ii. the safety of any individual. Disclosure of murder victims not in the public domain is likely to cause distress and upset to individuals concerned/family or friends. Overall Harm for Section 31 (1) & Section 38 (1)(a)(b) Considerations favouring disclosure - The public can have informed discussions on the matter. Considerations favouring non-disclosure - It would be appear unfair to place into the public domain information which is likely to cause an individual, for example the Family of the deceased, distress as disclosure could cause unwanted contact /attention from those interested in this case at a time when they seek to progress with their lives without unwanted attention. Releasing any information regarding an ongoing case would be harmful to the investigation, and the techniques used by Officers. Therefore, by applying an exemption to the requested information it would prevent law enforcement resources from being compromised and would retain the Police force’s ability to prevent and detect crimes. Balancing Test North Wales Police will not divulge any information that would place the safety of an individual at risk or undermine law enforcement. It is recognised that transparency is the fundamental objective of the Freedom of information Act and this leads itself to a presumption of disclosure. However, this has to be balanced against the harm that would be likely to endanger the physical health and safety of any individual linked to the information the applicant seeks. It this case the decision is for non-disclosure. Therefore, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice under section 17 (1) of the legislation. Calendar Homicide Victim Victim Year Count Surname Forename Location of Occurrence News Paper Article 2008 1 RODGERS ERMATATI GWERSYLLT, WREXHAM http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8350328.stm ARMSTRON https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/flint-man-jailed- 2008 1 G LEE FLINT, FLINTSHIRE life-after-2824769 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llanfairfechan- 2008 1 JONES HENRY BANGOR, GWYNEDD man-64-accused-killing-2809241 2008 1 PHILCOX AMY LLANRWST, CONWY http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7901010.stm 2008 1 PHILCOX OWEN LLANRWST, CONWY http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7901010.stm PRESTATYN, 2008 1 BURGESS MEG DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-19953942 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/justice-rhyl- 2009 1 BENNETT JONATHON RHYL, DENBIGHSHIRE man-killers-sentences-2771769 CONNAHS QUAY, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/tributes-karen-mcgraw- 2009 1 MCGRAW KAREN FLINTSHIRE who-murdered-2784625 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/anglesey- 2009 1 OWEN ARTHUR PENTRAETH, ANGLESEY farmer-gentle-caring-man-2776171 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/leon-jones- 2009 1 JONES LEON HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY killer-jailed-21-2759175 RHUDDLAN, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/rhuddlan-man- 2009 1 BURKE ANTHONY DENBIGHSHIRE jailed-life-murder-2759608 2010 1 LAITHWAITE PAUL SEALAND, FLINTSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11552449 2010 1 INGHAM LEAH WREXHAM https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-10881351 PORTHMADOG, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/crime-files- 2010 1 ROBERTS FFION GWYNEDD reopened-how-ffion-11343617 2010 1 HOMES PHILLIP RHYL, DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11755954 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/mold-man-jailed- 2010 1 JONES PETER BUCKLEY, FLINTSHIRE manslaughter-peter-2745396 https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/feb/08/sisters-sentenced- 2010 1 ROBINSON ANTONI COLWYN BAY, CONWY murder-father-safe https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/man-jailed- 2010 1 WASKO MONICA FLINT, FLINTSHIRE murder-landlady-son-2741137 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/man-jailed- 2010 1 WASKO PATRIC FLINT, FLINTSHIRE murder-landlady-son-2741137 BLAENAU FFESTINIOG, https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/mum-two-sons- 2010 1 STEVENS ISAAC GWYNEDD found-dead-1881373 BLAENAU FFESTINIOG, https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/mum-two-sons- 2010 1 STEVENS PHILLIP GWYNEDD found-dead-1881373 2011 1 HABESCH FLORENCE RHYL, DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13268256 DENBIGH, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/denbigh-business-owner-found- 2011 1 COOKE KENNETH DENBIGHSHIRE guilty-7597142 PRESTATYN, 2011 1 RUMBOLD SHIRLEY DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16120836 PRESTATYN, 2011 1 SARKOZI GARBOR DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-18248742 2011 1 JONES EMMA PENYGROES, GWYNEDD https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-19907095 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/man-denies- 2012 1 JONES KELVIN BANGOR, GWYNEDD murder-kelvin-jones-2664764 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales- 2012 1 JONES SUZANNE TREMADOG, GWYNEDD dad-killed-wife-2657537 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales- 2012 1 WYN-JONES WILLIAM TREMADOG, GWYNEDD dad-killed-wife-2657537 ST ASAPH, 2012 1 YATES BARBARA DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-22224275 NEW BRIGHTON, https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/catherine-gowings- 2012 1 GOWING CATHERINE FLINTSHIRE killer-clive-sharpe-2496141 PRESTATYN, 2012 1 ALLEN SKY DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-22449575 PRESTATYN, 2012 1 ALLEN BAILEY DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-34877184 2012 1 GULA BRANISLAV BALA, GWYNEDD https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22993967 PRESTATYN, 2012 1 SHIERS LEE-ANNE DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-22449575 PRESTATYN, 2012 1 TIMBRELL CHARLIE DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-22449575 PRESTATYN, 2012 1 TIMBRELL LIAM DENBIGHSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-22449575 CONNAHS QUAY, https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/15947441.connahs-quay-heroin- 2013 1 WILLIAMS ANTHONY FLINTSHIRE addict-not-guilty-of-manslaughter/ 2013 1 SOLMAZ GLYNIS WREXHAM https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-25053030 2013 1 MADDOCKS CRAIG WREXHAM https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-27892881 2013 1 BLACKLEDG PAUL ABERGELE, CONWY https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-23487066 E BERTHENGAM, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/botched- 2013 1 DAVIES NICHOLAS FLINTSHIRE injection-ex-doctor-killed-successful-8057133 GWERNAFFIELD, 2014 1 CATHERALL KAREN FLINTSHIRE https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-31599552 CONNAHS QUAY, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/baby-death-dad- 2014 1 MULLENDER DANIEL FLINTSHIRE sean-mullender-11256427 2014 1 DAVIES SION WREXHAM https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-33252258 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/staff-shortages- 2014 1 LUMLEY GWILYM WREXHAM wrexham-mental-health-11544886 https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/rhos-sea- 2014 1 ROBERTS SUSAN COLWYN BAY, CONWY woman-died-after-10435335