Woman held on suspicion of murder after elderly man dies and others injured in 'stabbing' at shop in South Wales

Police officers at the scene after a fatal stabbing in south Wales
PA
Kit Heren5 May 2020
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A woman has been arrested for suspected murder after a reported stabbing outside a shop in South Wales left an elderly man dead and several others injured.

Police in the Rhondda were called shortly after 1.45pm on Tuesday to the incident at a shop on Tylacelyn Road in Pen Y Graig.

Officers arrested a 29-year-old woman from Porth and took her to Merthyr Tydfil police station. They said they are not looking for any other suspects, police said.

Ambulance workers took four people away to a local hospital.

A forensic officer at the scene (PA )
PA

Detective Chief Inspector Mark O’Shea, of South Wales Police’s major crime investigations team, said: “This is a very tragic incident and one man has died and his family is being supported by specially trained police officers.

“Our thoughts and condolences remain with the victim’s family at this very sad time.

“This incident will have understandably caused a lot of shock in the local community and I want to reassure residents that a full investigation has been launched.

“However, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.”

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called today at approximately 1.50pm to reports of an incident on Tylacelyn Road in Tonypandy.

“We sent one rapid response vehicle, three emergency ambulances, two advanced paramedic practitioners and our hazardous area response team, who were supported by an air ambulance.

“Four people were taken by road to Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.”

Ravi Raj, 35, manager at the Pen Y Graig post office, witnessed the aftermath of the incident.

He said: “There was a woman attacking four different people with a knife.

“I saw one of the men bleeding from his neck and one of the women from the side of the neck."

Leanne Wood, Assembly Member for Rhondda, said she was "shocked" by the attack

“Most of the people in our small, close-knit community of Pen Y Graig will be left feeling shocked after the news tonight of a serious incident, a violent incident in our local Co-op,” the Plaid Cymru politician said in a video posted to Twitter.

“This is the shop that is my local grocery shop, it’s the shop that my family use to do most of our shopping in," she added.

“I know the staff there, I know most of the regular shoppers there and it’s a high street that is different to no other in Wales.

“It’s really shocking news. My heartfelt sympathy goes to all of those who are affected, all of those who have been harmed by the incident and their extended families.

“My thoughts are with the staff in the Co-op as well who must have been traumatised by the events there this afternoon.”

South Wales Police has also referred the incident to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC).

An IOPC spokesperson said: “We have been notified today by South Wales Police of a serious incident in Pen Y Graig, Rhondda Cynon Taff.

“We are awaiting a formal referral from the force which will be assessed to decide whether any IOPC investigation is required.”

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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