A court has thrown out a criminal case against a Powys man accused of damaging the grave of his ex-partner's husband.

Robert Jones, 48, of Glyn Hiriaeth, near Llanfair Caereinion, pleaded not guilty to criminally damaging the grave space of Fred Potter and a bunch of flowers laid by his former partner Alison Potter sometime between July 19 and August 18, 2021 at St James the Great Church in Daunstey, Wiltshire.

Swindon Magistrates' Court was told that nobody saw how the grave was desecrated, which Mrs Potter said appeared to be the only grave in the churchyard which looked like "someone took a blowtorch to it".

After hearing from the witnesses and a ‘no case to answer’ application from defence barrister Andy Pickett, chair of the magistrates' bench Jane Flew said the prosecution's evidence against Mr Jones was "so discredited" that he had no case to answer.