A disgraced ex-police officer jailed over the tragic deaths of four people during a paddleboarding tour was previously sacked from the force for fraud, it has been revealed.
Nerys Bethan Lloyd, 39, was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years in prison last week after being found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. The former officer, turned paddleboarding operator, organised a fatal trip on the River Cleddau in October 2021 despite extreme weather warnings.
Fatal Trip in Dangerous Conditions
Lloyd, from Aberavon, South Wales, was running the business Salty Dog Co Ltd when she arranged the doomed tour. Despite clear warnings of hazardous weather and a dangerous weir with a 1.3-metre drop along the route, she pressed ahead with the trip.
Tragically, four people — Paul O’Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40 — drowned after being swept over the weir and trapped under fast-moving water.
In court, it emerged Lloyd had failed to provide even the most basic safety measures. No consent forms were completed, next of kin details were not taken, and none of the participants had suitable safety leashes for their boards. There was also no mention of the dangerous weir during the briefing — because there wasn’t one.
A Dark Past Revealed
After sentencing, it emerged Lloyd had already been dismissed as a police officer prior to the river tragedy. In 2022, she was sacked for gross misconduct after fraudulently claiming £577.55 to cover car repair costs — when the actual repair cost was between £16 and £20.
South Wales Police confirmed Lloyd accepted a formal police caution for fraud in October 2021 — just weeks before the fatal paddleboarding incident.
Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said: “It is entirely unacceptable for police officers, who are responsible for enforcing the law, to break the law themselves.”
Families Devastated by Needless Loss
Relatives of the four victims said their lives had been destroyed by Lloyd’s reckless and unforgivable actions.
Morgan Rogers’ mother Theresa Hall said she lost her “best friend” and could “never forgive” Lloyd. Meanwhile, Darren Wheatley, Nicola’s husband, told the court his wife’s death was entirely Lloyd’s responsibility.
Ceri O’Dwyer, whose husband Paul also died, described him as “the kindest man”, but admitted he made “a catastrophic error of judgment” in trusting Lloyd to safely lead the group.
Judge Slams Lloyd for ‘Total Lack of Care’
Sentencing Lloyd, Mrs Justice Stacey delivered a damning verdict. She said Lloyd had shown a “total lack of care” and slammed her for failing to provide even basic safety instructions.
“There was no safety briefing beforehand,” the judge said. “There had been no mention to the group of a weir on the river and how to deal with it. You failed to tell them about the weather and tidal conditions. No next of kin details were obtained.”
The judge described the victims as having been “cut off in their prime, with so much to live for and look forward to”.
No Escape from Accountability
Lloyd sought to deflect blame onto Paul O’Dwyer after the tragedy, but eventually accepted responsibility in court.
“I take full blame,” she told the court, adding: “The pain for me has been unbearable but the pain for the families is unmeasurable.”
Prosecutors said that if not for Lloyd’s gross failings, the four victims would still be alive today.
A judge also confirmed Met Office weather warnings and a flood alert had been issued through Natural Resources Wales on the day of the incident — meaning Lloyd had every reason to cancel but chose not to.
End of a Business and a Reputation
Following her conviction, Salty Dog Co Ltd was wound up. Lloyd, once trusted to uphold the law as a police officer, will now spend the next decade behind bars as the families of the victims attempt to rebuild their shattered lives.
