A company director who sexually assaulted three young children has been described as “an abuser hiding in plain sight”.

Joseph D’Agnilli, 71, of Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, sexually abused one child in the 1980s and assaulted his other two victims within the last decade.

The abuse was kept secret for years and the defendant lived a prosperous and well-respected life – but his true nature came to light when his victims, who have lifelong anonymity, contacted the police.

Parents of the children said D’Agnilli had destroyed their lives and caused severe psychological trauma to his victims, which they would never recover from.

Read more: Go here to read all the latest stories from the courts in Wales

The defendant, of Drylla, denied such abuse but he was found guilty of one count of indeceny with a child and seven counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.

At D’Agnilli’s sentencing hearing on Thursday, prosecutor James Wilson read out a victim personal statment from one his victims.

She said: “What he did to me as a child still affects my life. I feel out of control and unable to sleep over the years…. I have contemplated suicide twice and feel my children will be better off without me. It has had a significant detrimental effect on my mental health and I have situational depression linked to PTSD, linked to my abuse. I can’t talk about my childhood, it triggers my negative thoughts too much…

“The personal trauma led me to have low self worth and confidence which makes it difficult for me to have relationships with others. I don’t like other people. He could have chosen to plead guilty and prevent the torture of a Crown court trial.”

Statements from two of the victim’ mothers were also read out to the court.

The first statement read: “Since the abuse my daughter has been suffering with nightmares, anxiety and low moods. She recognises she need therapy but no amount of counselling will take away what someone has done to you. It cannot stop you being triggered by the news, films, television or music. If he had pleaded guilty she would have been able to have accessed support years ago.

“She’s resilent but suffers from ups and downs and from tough periods in her life. One minute she can be having the best of times and someone says or does something and she’s triggered.

“I am angry and embarassed I was unable to keep my daughter safe, I am beyond angry. He’s never accepted responsibility for all the pain he’s caused to the children. My main fear as a mother is she’s going to blame me for not protecting her.”

She added: “(My daughter) was a happy go lucky girl, vibrant and full of life but she became clingy at the age and completely distanced herself from situations she perceived as a risk. She believes all men are predators and a threat to her personal safety. She’s contantly on alert and unable to relax.”

The second victim’s mother said her daughter frequently suffers with recurring nightmares and she often finds her silently weeping in bed. She added: “She’s no longer full of mischief and giggles.”

“Even if she puts on an outfit she feels confident, she’ll go to school and it hits her like a punch, she feels like people are looking at her and it won’t stop. I want to fix this and I can’t. Daily I feel like I’m failing her which is like not being to breathe. She will wring her hands and shut down sometimese. She will stop talking and answering questions, just stares. “

She added: “She used to be the first to join in and now you see her questioning herself and she’s worried about portraying herself wrong. I feel like she has been robbed of part of her life. She has been suffering with bullying but shows zero emotion, her response is just blacked out. It feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest.

“We’ve been ripped apart by this and have dealt with our pain by pushing it down. He has robbed our child and family of trust and love. “

In mitigation, Philip Gibbs asked the court to take into count the defendant’s age, his health and the fact he will spending the later stage of his life in prison away from his wife of 49 years.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Petts said D’Agnilli was a man of good character, retired from a respectable job and well regarded.

He added: “But as the prosecution put it you were an abuser hiding in plain sight.

“I take the view you have caused all three of your victis severe psychological harm.”

D’Agnilli was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years. He was made subject to notification requirements for life.

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Pubs and restaurants saw Christmas Day trade plunge by 60% as soaring Covid cases and caution over socialising lost UK hospitality firms £3 billion worth of sales.

Industry bosses said the sector suffered a “lost Christmas” after figures revealed that revenues dropped sharply across the key trading week as customers opted to stay at home

Social care management software firm Carebeans is setting up an operation in South Wales following a six-figure equity investment round backed by the Development Bank of Wales.

The Cheshire-based firm had also secured investment in the round from Liverpool-based MSIF (previously known as the Merseyside Special Investment Fund.).

The investment will be used to open a new office in Monmouth with new jobs being created and further development of its software. It has also supported the acquisition of software firm Standex Systems.

Carebeans was set up by its chief executive Nick Lawford in 2019. It provides a cloud-based system for residential and nursing care homes and the full spectrum of supported living including domiciliary care, disability, and mental health services.

Mr Lawford said: “This investment is providing a step change in our ability to bring on new customers and accelerate R&D in areas we know will have a big impact across large areas of social care provision in the near future.

“My goal has always been to use great technology to help people live their lives where they want to be with dignity whilst helping care givers provide consistently high-quality support unencumbered by onerous, often disconnected, systems and processes.

“The funding from MSIF and the Development Bank of Wales now accelerates our growth in the social care sectors with the opening of our second office and the recruitment of a highly specialist and skilled team.”

Oliver Wheatley, investment executive in the technology ventures team at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “The digital transformation for the care home and domiciliary care sector provides an opportunity for operators to generate significant operational efficiencies and provide better person-centred care than is achievable with historical paper based systems.

“It’s a really exciting time for the sector which is why we’re pleased to support Carebeans with the development of their competitively priced, end-to-end solution. They have a real understanding of the needs of the sector with a market-leading and scalable offering. We’re looking forward to working with the team and MSIF as co-investors to help drive the growth and future success of the business from their new office here in Wales.”

David Walters, investment manager for MSIF said :“It was clear to the investment team how innovative the software platform is in supporting carers, people receiving care and their families at a time when care in the UK has never been more important. Already the business has diversified into non-age care sectors such as disability and we expect Carebeans to be a key player in the support of domiciliary care in the UK and further abroad.”

Legal support was provided by Brabners for MSIF and Cardiff-based Blake Morgan advised the Development Bank of Wales. Financial modelling was performed by George Wright of the LCR Finance Hub.

Some economists state that the Omicron outbreak has sparked a de facto lockdown in New South Wales, forcing businesses to shut down due to virus-induced staff absences amid few Covid-19 restrictions and no public health orders in place.

Jim Stanford

Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, retweeted an article shared by the Australia Institute, on how the Omicron outbreak is smashing Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales. He stated that the economic situations are far worse than an actual lockdown.

Despite few restrictions, the Omicron wave is impacting everything in NSW, right from its healthcare system to the hospitality industry. Analysts from Stanford’s team have predicted cases to peak in mid-January, predicting up to one-third of the workers in NSW to be in isolation in the upcoming weeks.

Surging Covid-19 hospitalisations have led to a burnout among staff, with more than 4,000 frontline health staff having been furloughed due to Covid-19 or due to isolation needs, leading to critical staff shortages across some of the largest hospitals in Sydney.

Alberto Bagnai

Alberto Bagnai, economist and associate professor of economic policy at the Gabriele d’Annunzio University, retweeted an interview shared by the European Central Bank (ECB) on pandemic-related special factors having led to unusually low inflation in 2020 and unusually high inflation in 2021. However, Philip R. Lane, chief economist and member of the executive board of the ECB, has stated that 2022 will be a transition stage where high inflation will eventually fade.

Lane stated that he expected the pandemic to end in 2023 and 2024, with inflation stabilising at a lower level, almost at about 1.8%, which is close to the 2% target compared to what the euro area was before the Covid-19 outbreak.

He also emphasised that the inflation rate is currently not going back to its pre-pandemic level, but the euro area has made progress by offering fiscal and monetary support. Therefore, the economic recovery in the following two years will bring inflation closer to the target.

Dani Rodrik

Dani Rodrik, economist at the Harvard Kennedy School, shared an article on how keeping an open mind on unfashionable and unorthodox ideas, and making sure to learn from evidence, applies to the current inflation debates in the US and Turkey. Therefore, he believes that deriding currently unfashionable ideas on inflation as ‘science denial’ similar to rejecting Covid-19 vaccines, as some prominent economists have done, is a misplaced idea.

Rodrik further added that the current Covid-induced inflation in the US and other advanced nations, for example, differs significantly from the 1970s inflation. It is neither chronic till date, nor is driven by wage-price spirals and backward indexation. Therefore, policymakers in developed countries should not be worried over the inflation spike.

The best argument against price controls, therefore, is not that they are incompatible with science, but that nothing radical needs to happen. Likewise, the same caution should apply to central banks being patient before raising interest rates amid a relentless pandemic.

My latest: in economics we need to keep an open mind on unfashionable and unorthodox ideas, and make sure we learn from evidence. How this applies to current inflation debates in US and Turkey. https://t.co/52xleDXiII

— Dani Rodrik (@rodrikdani) January 11, 2022

An Outline Business Case for the development of a Wellbeing Centre to be based in Cross Hands is to be resubmitted to Welsh Government, Hywel Dda University Health Board has revealed.

The business case outlines the health boards intention to develop an integrated health and social care network of services for the Amman Gwendraeth area and the construction of a Wellbeing Centre.

Business advisory firm Quantuma has appointed new managing director Tim Sloggett, to further strengthen its offering in the South West and Wales region. Tim helps businesses that are underperforming and/or facing a cash flow crisis.

Sloggett brings with him more than 20 years’ experience of helping businesses that are underperforming or facing a crisis, across a range of sectors and from local owner-managed businesses to large international corporates.

He has spent most of his career working in Big Four firms, as well as five years at Barclays Bank in its turnaround and restructuring team. Sloggett has a wealth of experience in delivering different solutions across a wide range of stakeholder groups and challenging situations. He is known for his collaborative and flexible approach and unique breadth of experience.

Louise Durkan, head of the firm’s national financial advisory team, also takes over as head of the region following the retirement of outgoing head, Graham Randall. Louise and Tim previously worked together at Deloitte and are joining forces again to bring together their complimentary skills and ambitions to deliver the best solutions for clients.

Tim Sloggett, managing director at Quantuma, said:

“This is a really exciting time to be joining Quantuma, helping it to continue the impressive growth journey and expand its capabilities. It is inevitable that businesses are going to need vital support in the coming months and years as they face unprecedent challenges from the pandemic and Brexit. Quantuma provides me with a great platform to bring my passion and experience to support businesses in the region to get through these challenges.”

Louise Durkan, managing director and head of South West and Wales at Quantuma, said:

“The arrival of Tim is an exciting addition to our team as he brings with him extensive experience and expertise across the full spectrum of advisory, turnaround, and restructuring work. Tim’s appointment helps us to further strengthen our position as one of the leading advisory practices and I am delighted to be leading the team through our next phase of growth.”

PROJECTS to improve the look of Newport and bring more jobs into the city are set to receive nearly £2.8 million funding this week.

Newport City Council is expected to finalise the awarding of the pot, from the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund, today, Tuesday.

The Government will take “every step necessary” to ensure the building industry fixes the problem of dangerous cladding blighting thousands of leaseholders in medium rise blocks, Michael Gove has said.

Four and half years after the Grenfell fire exposed the dangers of cladding, the Housing Secretary said that no leaseholder living in a block above 11 metres would have to pay for fixing dangerous problems.

High street giant Wilko has confirmed major store closures as a result of the pandemic which will affect stores and staff in south Wales.

More than 300 people are likely to lose their jobs at stores across the UK, including in Llanelli and its branch in the St Tydfil Square Shopping Centre store in Merthyr with both stores lined up for closure this summer.

They are two of 15 stores in the UK which are likely to close, with at least 300 jobs projected to be lost by union GMB. All 15 are planned to close by January 2023, while the Llanelli store will close in August and the Merthyr store in September.

Read more: The Welsh town that’s stagnated for a decade: Llanelli’s economy has risen by just three per cent in 10 years

Each store will have a 30-day consultation period while permanent recruitment in the vicinity of each site will freeze. Wilko has said the planned closures are not final and negotiations for any of the stores penned for closure could reopen.

The store planned to close in Llanelli is in the Market Precinct while the Merthyr store set to close is on Newmarket Walk.

CEO Jerome Saint-Marc said: “Our history is steeped in serving our customers and communities going back to 1930 but there’s no denying the way people shop with us and where they want to shop with us is changing.

“As a business we’re evolving and this includes working with landlords for more favourable terms, as well as looking at locations and store formats.

“We’ll continue to pull together to make our business better to secure the future of over 16,000 team members.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to support our affected team members who will be offered any available positions in nearby stores.”

It is another significant blow to Llanelli which has lost an array of stores in recent years. You can read more about its plight here.

Roger Jenkins, GMB National Officer, called the news “devastating”.

“These closures are devastating for Wilko workers and the communities who use them,” he said. “It’s yet another nail in the high street’s coffin and GMB calls on councils and landlords to review commercial leases and offer lower rents.

“Empty high streets and shopping centres are in no one’s interest but with 400 shops a week closing, this is inevitable – unless the costs of premises can be reduced. GMB will now meet with Wilko members to discuss our next steps.”

Here are the stores closing across the UK

Llanelli

Merthyr

Shipley

Bournemouth

Stockton

The Fort

Scunthorpe

Narborough Road

Grantham

Redditch

Rotherham

Skegness

Sutton Coldfield

Edmonton Green

Cleethorpes

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