A MUM held at gunpoint by her stalker ex has slammed a decision to free him from jail despite the Parole Board warning he is “unsafe”.
Gareth Wyn Jones was jailed for four-and-a-half years in 2020 after he held Rhianon Bragg hostage overnight in a terrifying ordeal.
Rhianon Bragg was held hostage by ex Gareth Wyn Jones
Rhianna BraggThe thug will now be automatically released from prison in February[/caption]
He is now due for automatic release in February and will spend five years on licence.
Jones’ freedom comes despite the Parole Board warning it would not be safe to release him.
Rhianon has also hit out at the decision, saying: “I cannot conceive how anything other than a completely blinkered, unjoined up, broken justice system, would release an offender that it had just classed as too high risk to release.
“It’s mind-blowing, absolute madness – what will they say to his next victims? It’s not like they’re pretending he won’t reoffend.
“We’re hoping for a workable, sustainably funded Victims Bill. I think there’s no hope of that, when the system can’t even contain known offenders.
“We are just guinea pigs.”
Jones waged a terrifying stalking campaign against the mum-of-four when she ended their relationship in 2019.
Rhianon reported the former mechanic to police after he made threats to kill and he was arrested three times.
Officers also took his legally-held guns away but these were later returned when no further action was taken against him.
The Crown Prosecution Service later admitted it could have charged Jones three months before the August 2019 attack.
Instead the thug was free to hold up Rhianon at gunpoint in an eight-hour horror ordeal.
Jones “leapt from the shadows” dressed in full camo gear as he ambushed Rhianon and threatened to leave her four children without a mum.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
Always keep your phone nearby.
Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
If you are in danger, call 999.
Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
He was given an extended determinate sentence – meaning he received a fixed jail term with an extended period on licence upon his release.
The Parole Board found Jones held “traditional beliefs around gender roles in relationships and evidenced jealousy and a sense of entitlement”.
Officials also ruled he struggled to manage conflict, with a release plan that would see Jones living in designated accommodation with strict limits on his movements not considered robust enough.
The panel concluded: “After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that release at this point would be safe for the protection of the public.”
ITVRhianon has slammed the decision to release her ex[/caption]
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