James Smith sentenced to life for the knife murder of Ashley Sarsero in Llanelli

Killer and accomplice's police mugshots published

These are the faces of the men sentenced today over the death of Ashley Sarsero.

James Smith has been jailed for life with a minimum of 28 years for murder.

Steven Morgan has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for assisting an offender

Killer's friend sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison

Turning to Morgan, the judge tells him that every instinct should have been telling him to help the gravely injured man in front of him but instead his instinct had been to help his friend get away with what he had done. The judge says he is satisfied Morgan delayed calling for an ambulance until he knew Mr Sarsero was dead, and says Morgan’s intention had been to “delay or prevent” Smith’s arrest and prosecution for murder.

For assisting an offender Morgan is sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison. He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Killer sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years

The judge tells Smith there is only one sentence that he can pass for the offence of murder, and that is life in prison - he says the task for the court is to set the minimum term he must serve before the defendant can apply for release. He says unless the Parole Board orders Smith’s release he will send the rest of his life in prison.

For murder Smith is sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years.

For possession of a knife on the night of the murder Smith is sentenced to three years and for the offence in 2022 to 18 months - these sentences will run concurrently with the life sentence.

Killer's 'fragile ego' couldn't handle it

The judge says it is a “tragedy beyond words” that Claire Richards’ path crossed the paths of James Smith and Steven Morgan on September 10 last year. He says Miss Richards may have thought Smith was a Good Samaritan when in fact he was a man with a short temper given to “cowardly violence”.

He says when Ashley Sarsero confronted Smith at the house he shared with his mother Smith’s “fragile ego” could not handle it and he stabbed his victim in the neck, the blade going into the neck up to the hilt. He says as Ashley lay on the ground calling for help from his mother Smith “taunted” him and called him a “faggot”

The court hears Smith has previous convictions for 32 offences including theft, burglary, battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm - and offence which saw him throttling a previous partner - and attempted robbery when he threatened a lone woman with a machete as he tried to steal her phone.

Ashley's death left a void that will never be filled - Judge Daniel Williams

Judge Daniel Williams begins his sentencing.

He says for the last three weeks the focus of the court has been on the dreadful events of September 10, 2024, but he wants to begin by shifting the focus to Ashley, a precious son, brother, partner and friend, a hard working young man who loved life. He says his death has caused a void in the lives of many people that will never be filled.

Murderer was on bail for weapons offence at the time of the killing

The court hears Smith was on bail for another weapon offence at the time he killed Mr Sarsero, and junior prosecution barrister Mathew Roberts tells the court of the circumstances.

He says on June 26, 2022, Smith had a knife outside the Greenfield pub in Llanelli and was threatening to stab someone called “Rob Cap”. He says Smith told a customer in the pub he was also in possession of a gun and bullets.

Police were called, and a lock-knife and a quantity of drugs were found hidden in a nearby lane.

Murder victim was 'patient, kind, honest and humble'

The court will now hear a statement from Mr Sarsero’s partner Jade Jones.

She describes Ashley as the love of her life and says he always will be. She describes Ashley as an “extraordinary” man who was patient, kind, honest and humble, and was “the embodiment of what was right in this world”. She says Ashley showed her “a more beautiful version of love”.

Miss Jones says she had Ashley had planned to marry and spend the rest of their lives together, and Ashley wanted to be a father. She says the death of her partner has left a hole in her life that can never be filled.

Miss Jones says she hopes Ashley’s death will not be in vain, and it was his last chance to do good and protect others as he had done in life.

Murder victim 'loved life'

The victim's mother Claire Richards says her son loved life, and loved music, surfing, camping and being outdoors, and says as a family they will try to continue doing those things. She says her son will live-on through the family.

Ms Richards says Ashley will never get to see his younger siblings growing up, and says he would have been so proud of them. She says her son never got to see his nephew being born, something he was excited about.

She says Ashley would light up a room with his infectious smile and presence, and will always be remembered as the “legend” he was.

No remorse

Michael Jones KC, for the prosecution, invites the court to hear a statement from Claire Richards, the mother of Mr Sarsero. She will read her statement to the court via videolink from another room in the court.

Ms Richards says she was the first person to look into the eyes of her “precious, stunning son” when he was born, and was the last person to look into his eyes as he died. She says the thought of living her life without Ashley “has broken me in two” and left her suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ms Richards says James Smith has shown no remorse for taking the life of her son, and has not accepted any responsibility for his actions. She describes going through a three-week trial and having to tell the court about her trauma was “excruciating”.

The sentencing hearing begins

Croeso / welcome to our continuing coverage of the trial.

Today the judge - His Honour Daniel Williams - will pass sentences on the defendants after the jury returned guilty verdicts against James Smith for the murder of Ashley Sarsero, and Steven Morgan for assisting an offender.

The court has assembled - including a packed public gallery and second public gallery watching via videolink from another room in Swansea Crown Court - and the sentencing hearing is about to begin.

Second defendant found guilty

Morgan has been found guilty of assisting an offender. The jury returned to the court on Thursday lunchtime and confirmed they had found Morgan guilty by a majority of 10-2.

Jury deliberations to continue

The jury has returned to court once more and confirmed that it has not reached a majority verdict in the case of Morgan, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge assisting an offender. Judge Daniel Williams has sent the jury home and they will continue their deliberations on Thursday morning.

Guity verdict

James Smith is found guilty of murder after the jury reached a majority verdict of 10-2.

The jury has not yet returned a verdict in regard to Steven Morgan.

'A punch or suspicion or a feeling that Steven Morgan is guilty is not enough'

Mr Davies tells jurors: “A punch or suspicion or a feeling that Steven Morgan is guilty is not enough. Thinking that Steven Morgan is probably or maybe guilty is not enough. You have to be sure, be sure on the evidence the prosecution has brought. If you have a doubt about Steven Morgan’s true intention you have to give that benefit of the doubt to Steven Morgan. If you have a doubt you might think the prosecution has not proved its case.”

That concludes Mr Davies’ speech and concludes all the closing speeches.

Judge Daniel Williams will now sum up the evidence to the jury. The blog will return when verdicts are returned.

Gave a 'full and frank account account'

The barrister reminds the jury that in his police interviews the defendant showed a “level of consistency” and gave a “full and frank account account” to officers which was the same as he gave officers at the roadside. Again he asks the jury to consider Morgan’s intentions.

'Begging him not to die, and was crying and sobbing while doing it'

The barrister reminds jurors of Morgan’s evidence that in telling Smith to “run” he just wanted the other man go away from him and from Miss Richards. He asks jurors to consider what Morgan’s intention had been in sending that message in the moments after a “lunatic” high on drink and drugs had just killed a man over what, it is conceded by all parties, was a fairly minor incident.

Mr Davies reminds the jury it is the prosecution case that in making that call to Smith, Morgan’s intention was to impede the police investigation but he reminds them when officers attended the scene Morgan gave them Smith’s name, a description of what he was wearing, and his address. Barrister: “All these key details handed over in a heartbeat”.

The barrister says Morgan gave first aid to the stricken Mr Sarsero and was begging him not to die, and was crying and sobbing while doing it - he tells jurors he makes these points to help them understand his client’s intention.

Jury now addressed by Hywel Davies for Morgan

The jury will now be addressed by Hywel Davies for Morgan. He says he had hoped to be able to tell them that the helpfulness the defendant had shown to police would have continued in the witness box, but the defendant had left the witness box during questioning as was his right.

Addressing the defendant leaving the box, he says: “Do you think he had a break-down emotionally or was he playing a game with you?” He says Morgan is not somebody who handles pressure well, and was described by Miss Richards as being “frenzied, panicked, and a mess” at the scene,

Was there a 'purposeful and deliberate stab'?

Mr Hipkin takes the jury back to video evidence from the video doorbell shown in court and asks the jurors to consider what was actually happening in those moments. He asks them to consider whether there was evidence for the prosecution submission that there had been a “purposeful and deliberate stab”. He reminds jurors of the injuries Smith sustained to a leg and asks rhetorically: “How and when did Mr Smith get injuries to his leg?”

The barrister tells jurors it is for them to consider all the evidence they have heard in full and in context, and that it is for the prosecution to prove the case.

'Physical dynamics of the incident'

The barrister reminds the jurors about the pathology evidence they have heard, and says while pathology can help with many things it cannot help with the “physical dynamics of the incident”. He reminds them of evidence they have heard that the wound could have been caused by the person who was cut moving forward and the other person [the person holding the blade] remaining still. He reminds them of evidence that it would have taken “a moderate amount of force” to cause the wound as the blade did not come into contact with bone of calcified cartilage.

'Crashingly stupid attempt which was easily seen for what it was'

Turning to the repeated denials by his client that he had been at the scene of the stabbing the barrister described it as a “crashingly stupid attempt which was easily seen for what it was”. He says it took a team of experience major crime officers just a couple of hours to establish what Smith was telling them saying was completely false, and says the account given by Smith “has all the hallmarks of someone who was panicking and not thinking straight”

'No issue with the defendants being at Miss Richards’s house until Mr Sarseo returned home'

Mr Hipkin tells the jury the “background” to the incident was important, namely the defendants meeting Mr Sarsero’s mother Claire Richards in a local petrol station shop and “helping her” and going back to her house. He reminds them of the evidence they have heard about Smith walking through Dafen Park with Miss Richards and of him putting his arm around her and being “it’s not not like that” and removing his arm.

He says there was no issue with the defendants being at Miss Richards’s house until Mr Sarseo returned home in an “agitated“ state - he says Miss Richards thought her son had been taking cocaine, and subsequent toxicology tests showed that was correct.

'What do they really show?'

The barrister reminds the jurors of Smith’s past convictions and asks them, rhetorically, what do they really show? He says the antecedent showed Smith used violence on one occasion 10 years ago, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and then threatening somebody with a blade during an attempted robbery.

John Hipkin KC will now make his closing speech to the jury.

He tells jurors he is going to be “realistic” in what he says - he says that in the defendant’s background, the fact he bought a knife, and that fact he told a lie about not being at the scene “he has done just about everything he could to alienate himself before you as a jury”.

The barrister tells the jury they should consider the evidence and come to verdicts with their heads and not their hearts adding: “Emotion makes a very poor judge, and you are judges of fact in his case”.

'He knew he had he intended to cause at least very serious injury'

Mr Jones tells the jury: “The prosecution say in summary what James Smith did in goading and attacking Mr Sarsero and stabbing him deliberately to the neck with a knife he knew he had he intended to cause at least very serious injury”. He says Smith goaded Mr Sarsero and then carried out exactly what he said he was going to do - namely stab him in the neck.

He says what the co-defendant Morgan did in telling Smith to “run” was to “give his mate some thinking time” and to allow him to dispose of evidence. He says in doing that Morgan was assisting an offender.

Mr Sarsero’s mother “begged” Morgan 18 times to call an ambulance

The prosecution barrister says the fact Morgan returned to the scene of the stabbing and “gave the impression he was helping does not exculpate him” from what he did in calling the co-defendant and “giving his mate the heads up”. He reminds the jury that Mr Sarsero’s mother “begged” Morgan 18 times to call an ambulance.

Smith went home after the stabbing and washed the knife

The barrister reminds the jury that Smith went home after the stabbing and washed the knife and put his clothes in the washing machine, and the following morning took his shoes to his mother’s house to “hide them”. He says the murder weapon itself has never been found.

Smith had bought the knife used in the stabbing two days before the fatal incident

The barrister reminds the jury that Smith had bought the knife used in the stabbing two days before the fatal incident, and at the time of the incident he was on crown court bail having previously been charged with possession of a bladed article. He reminds the jury about Smith’s previous convictions and says the defendant “has a history of or propensity for using or threatening violence when he has a knife”. He tells jurors that Smith is not, as the defendant would have them believe, a “forgetful fisherman” who forgot he had a knife but is somebody who is quick to anger when he feels slighted and resorts to using a weapon.

Smith repeatedly said he had not been at the scene at the time of the stabbing

Mr Jones reminds the jury that during his seven police interviews Smith repeatedly said he had not been at the scene at the time of the stabbing but that he later changed his story and said he had been acting in self-defence or the stabbing was an accident while Mr Sarsero was armed with a baseball bat wrapped around with barbed wire. The barrister says in his police interviews Smith was actively lying to the police. He reminds the jury that no such bat was ever recovered, and it does not appear anywhere in the 436 crime scene pictures taken during the investigation.

Co-accused told him to 'run'

The prosecution barrister says the co-accused Morgan initially left the scene with his friend before returning, and then having seen the state of Mr Saesero rang Smith and told him he was going to call 999 and telling his friend he should “run”.

'I will stab you in the f****** neck'

The barrister says Smith was caught on audio from a neighbour’s video door shouting at Mr Sarsero and “goading him” outside the property saying “I will stab you in the f****** neck”. He says moments later “not accidentally but purposely and deliberately” Smith then stabbed Mr Saerso in the neck. He says Smith then “taunted” his gravely victim telling him he was “Crying to his mammy” before walking away and leaving Mr Sarsero to die.