Nerys Lloyd, the owner of a paddleboard company responsible for the deaths of four people on a flooded river in south-west Wales, has been sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison.
Lloyd 39, is said to be responsible for the deaths of Paul O’Dwyer, Andrea Powell, Morgan Rogers and Nicola Wheatley who all drowned while paddle boarding on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest in “extremely hazardous conditions” in October 2021.
The former police officer was accused of being arrogant in guiding the group on the river in south-west Wales despite the conditions and her lack of expertise, and had shown no remorse over her failings. Lloyd was suspended from South Wales police at the time of the tragedy after accepting a caution for a fraudulent insurance claim involving a vehicle, and had advertised the River Cleddau trip on Facebook for £149 a person to include overnight accommodation and supervision by two “fully” qualified instructors.
She had earlier admitted to gross negligence manslaughter after the court heard she did not have the correct qualifications to practice as a paddleboarding tour guide stating “It’s my fault 100% … I just turned around and they all fell over.”
It was also noted by the judge that Lloyd showed no remorse for her actions as she continued with her social media presence and normal life in the aftermath of the event.
“I do not find your continued social media presence and life as normal presentation was a deliberate snub to the victims – it was your way of coping.
“But you can I hope with hindsight appreciate how insensitive it was in such a close-knit community.” The judge said.
