Paddleboard firm owner who caused four deaths has bid to cut sentence refused

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Dyfed-Powys Police

A former paddleboard firm owner has been refused permission to appeal against her sentence over the deaths of four people on a river in south 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 guilty to gross negligence manslaughter in March 2025 and was jailed for 10 years and six months.

Three Appeal Court judges rejected David Elias KC’s submissions that the sentence was “manifestly excessive”.

Lady Justice May told the court they found the trial judge’s approach to have been proportionate given the number of victims.

At the sentencing in April, the court heard Lloyd was unqualified to lead a paddleboard tour of this kind.

Neither Lloyd nor co-instructor O’Dwyer were qualified to lead the tour, and Mrs Justice Stacey criticised the “abysmal” approach to health and safety.

Citing Lloyd’s police and RNLI training, the judge said she “knew better”, although acknowledged she was “horrified” at what happened.

The group of seven participants, led by Lloyd and O’Dwyer, set off after 09:00 BST on 30 October 2021.

Three particpants died along with O’Dwyer.

Family photos

During the sentencing hearing, the court heard there had been heavy rain in the days before and “the river was in flood conditions” with a “visibly strong current”.

The court was also shown photos of a weir the group was trying to navigate.

This included a section called fish pass, which was 11m (36ft) long and on an incline of about one in seven, or 14%.

The court was shown conditions on the weir on the day of the incident, with the prosecution explaining it showed “immense turbulence” of the water.

PaddleboardingHaverfordwestWales