Suspended sentence for Bodelwyddan affray involving planning, Wales 2026

Key Points

• Alex Sanders, aged 20, of Lowther Court, Bodelwyddan, appeared before the Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
• He got an eight-month detention term in a young offender institute, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to affray.
• The man pleaded guilty the same day that he had been supposed to face a trial.
• It emerged that the incident took place in Rhuddlan Road, Bodelwyddan, on February 22, 2025.
• The prosecution stated that the offence was a case of “group action,” “planning,” and using a blade.
• The defendant was considered to have not played a “leading part” in the offence.
• He was ordered to perform 160 hours of community work and pay £400 CPS cost along with a £187 statutory surcharge.
• The total fine is £587 and shall be paid in monthly instalments of £80 from October 14, 2026.
• His co-accused Keshan Ramessur, aged 19, of Hendre Wen, Abergele, pleaded guilty to affray and possession of a knife; he will be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, October 7.

Wales (Wales Times) October 3, 2026 — A 20-year-old man from Bodelwyddan has avoided immediate detention after being sentenced for his part in an affray that a court heard involved planning, group action and a blade.

As reported by the Rhyl Journal, Alexander Sanders, of Lowther Court, Bodelwyddan, appeared at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, September 30, where he was given an eight-month detention sentence in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for a year and a half.

Sanders had previously admitted affray. The court was told that he changed his plea to guilty on the day he had been due to stand trial.

The offence related to an incident on Rhuddlan Road, Bodelwyddan, on February 22, 2025. According to the Rhyl Journal, the court heard that the incident involved “group action” and “planning”, as well as the use of a blade.

Despite those aggravating features, Sanders was described as not having played a “leading role” in the incident.

Why was Alexander Sanders spared immediate detention?

The court imposed a suspended sentence rather than immediate custody. The Rhyl Journal reported that Sanders, who was 20 at the time of sentencing, received eight months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for 18 months.

A suspended sentence means that the custodial term is not served immediately, provided the offender complies with the conditions attached to the order during the operational period. In this case, that period is 18 months.

The court also ordered Sanders to complete 160 hours of unpaid work. He must additionally pay £400 towards Crown Prosecution Service costs and a £187 statutory surcharge.

Together, those payments amount to £587. The Rhyl Journal reported that the money is to be paid in monthly instalments of £80, beginning on Wednesday, October 14.

What did the court hear about the incident?

The case concerned an affray on Rhuddlan Road in Bodelwyddan. An affray is a public-order offence involving the use or threat of unlawful violence that would cause a reasonable person present to fear for their personal safety.

The Rhyl Journal reported that the court heard the February 2025 incident included “group action” and “planning”. It also involved the use of a blade.

However, the report stated that Sanders was not described as having played a “leading role”. That distinction formed part of the account put before the court when he was sentenced.

Sanders’s guilty plea came after he had initially been due to face trial. The Rhyl Journal reported that he changed his plea to guilty on the day the trial was scheduled to begin.

Who else has been charged in the case?

A second defendant, Keshan Ramessur, 19, of Hendre Wen, Abergele, has also admitted affray. According to the Rhyl Journal, Ramessur further admitted possessing a knife.

Ramessur is due to be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, October 7.

The case therefore remains active in relation to Ramessur, whose sentencing is scheduled to take place several days after Sanders received his own sentence at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court.

What sentence did Sanders receive?

Sanders’s sentence combined immediate requirements with a suspended custodial term:

Element	Order
Custodial sentence	Eight months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution
Suspension period	18 months
Unpaid work	160 hours
Prosecution costs	£400 to the Crown Prosecution Service
Statutory surcharge	£187
Total payments	£587
Payment arrangement	£80 per month from October 14, 2026

The Rhyl Journal reported that the sentence was imposed at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on September 30, 2026.

What does the guilty plea mean for the case?

Sanders’s decision to admit affray removed the need for a trial on that charge. The Rhyl Journal reported that he changed his plea on the day he was due to stand trial.

The court was told that the incident involved planning and group action, as well as a blade, but that Sanders had not played a leading role. Those details were part of the material considered in the sentencing process.

No further details of the incident, injuries, witnesses or the precise circumstances of the blade’s use were included in the published court report.

Background of the development

The incident occurred on Rhuddlan Road, Bodelwyddan, on February 22, 2025. The case was later dealt with through the courts, with Sanders admitting affray shortly before he had been due to stand trial.

At Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on September 30, 2026, Sanders was sentenced to eight months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for 18 months. The court also imposed 160 hours of unpaid work and ordered payments totalling £587.

His co-defendant, Keshan Ramessur, admitted affray and possessing a knife. He is due to be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on October 7, 2026.

Prediction: how could this development affect Bodelwyddan residents?

For Bodelwyddan residents, the case may reinforce concerns about public safety and the consequences of planned group violence in local communities. The court’s account of the incident, including the use of a blade, is likely to be viewed seriously by people living along Rhuddlan Road and in the wider Bodelwyddan area.

The suspended sentence and unpaid-work requirement mean Sanders will remain subject to court-imposed conditions for 18 months. If he complies, he will not serve the eight-month custodial term immediately; the financial orders will also be paid in instalments from October 14.

For local residents, the immediate practical effect is likely to be limited, but the case may increase attention on community safety, the handling of knife-related offending and the outcome of Ramessur’s sentencing at Mold Crown Court next week.