A Welshman accused of pouring chemicals on a grave in a Wiltshire churchyard has been acquitted.
Robert Jones denied destroying the burial site of his ex-wife’s late husband – and at trial at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Friday (17 March), the case was dismissed.
It was alleged that the defendant, of Welshpool in Powys, attended St James Church in Dauntsey in the summer of 2021 and poured weed killer on the well-kept grave of Frederick Potter.
Prosecutor Tom Power told the court that Jones had carried out the act of criminal damage after his marriage to Alison Potter – the widow of late Mr Potter – had broken down.
Sarah Jones, who is of no relation to the defendant but dated him some years back, claimed he had admitted pouring chemicals on the grave in a phone call around the time of the incident.
But defence barrister Andy Pickett’s cross-examination of the witness revealed that she, despite claiming she was an honest Christian, had 12 fraud convictions dating back to 2015.
Ms Jones also said that she was only giving evidence because she had been “threatened” by the Crown Prosecution Service – who allegedly told her she’d be committing a serious offence if she failed to attend the trial, despite previously making a retraction statement.
Mr Pickett made a ‘no case to answer’ application to the magistrates – asking them to consider whether Ms Jones’ words were so discredited that the trial could not continue.
Following deliberations, chair of the bench Jane Flew dismissed the case and Jones was acquitted.
