Morriston cemetery: Mourners had to dodge speeding car at funeral

Thirteen men have been charged with violent disorder and being in possession of weapons

Grieving families witnessed a mass brawl at a cemetery in Swansea which left two people seriously injured, a court has heard.

Armed police were called to the fight, involving members of four families, at Morriston Cemetery on 5 August 2022.

It involved baseball bats, cars being driven at high speed and men spitting on the floor of the remembrance room.

Nine men were arrested and have appeared at Swansea Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Eight of them are due to be sentenced at a later date. They are:

• Jeffrey Tawse, 24, from Rumney, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and having an offensive weapon, namely a shovel  

• John Coffey Junior, 24, from Rumney, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and having an offensive weapon, namely a hockey stick 

• Patrick Joseph Murphy, 40, from Llanelli, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon 

• John Murphy, 18, from Llanelli, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon 

• Andrew John Thomas, 40, from Llanelli, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and dangerously driving a Volkswagen Golf in a public place

• Martin O'Brian, 58, from Llanelli, pleaded guilty to violent disorder

• Paddy Murphy, 19, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon 

• John O'Brian, 53, Llanelli, pleaded guilty plea to violent disorder

A separate hearing will take place in the case of one defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Two youths, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, are to appear in court later this week.

• Guilty pleas after brawl in Morriston cemetery

• Two injured after 'distressing' cemetery incident

Prosecutor Helen Randall described to the court how "severe disruption" was caused to mourners at the cemetery, including a man attending his wife's funeral with his five children.

The court heard the brawl was the result of a feud between two family factions: the O'Brian and Coffey faction, and the Murphy and Thomas faction.

Members of the Coffey and O'Brian families were at the cemetery for a blessing of Michael and Margaret O'Brian's gravestones, but "what followed was an incident of violent disorder involving all 11 defendants", Ms Randall said.

Ms Randall said weapons were used to cause injury, vehicles driven at each other and gravestones damaged.

Two funerals were taking place at the time of the offence, added Ms Randall, including the funeral of one woman attended by her husband and their five children, one of whom was heavily pregnant.

'Disrespect and desecration'

CCTV footage from inside the cemetery's service room shows one defendant, Patrick Joseph Murphy, hiding a baseball bat within flowers, "damaging floral arrangements".

The same footage depicts his sons, John Murphy and Paddy Murphy, spitting on the floor of the remembrance room, something Judge Paul Thomas described as "an act of great disrespect, even desecration".

Other footage from the day shows vehicles speeding through the cemetery, with other mourners jumping out of their paths.