Husband Craig Dewar faces jail for kidnapping wife’s former lover in ‘carjacking’

Craig Dewar abducted John Hawkins after finding out Zoe Dewar had cheated on him behind his back when the social worker couple had an office romance.

Prosecutor Andrew Kendall said she and the complainant met while employed together as community support workers for Blaenau Gwent Social Services.

Craig Dewar, 34, followed Mr Hawkins from work, muscled his way into his Ford van after overtaking him and slamming on the breaks, forcing him to stop sharply and blocking his path.

A Cardiff Crown Court jury agreed that he then forced the victim to drive and follow his 4x4 – driven by another man – and fractured his cheekbone as he made his escape from the vehicle.

His 32-year-old wife was in the dock beside her husband after being accused of perverting the course of justice by threatening her ex-lover to “drop the charges or it will be 100 times worse for you…I will ruin your career”.

Zoe Dewar was cleared of the charge. She said she had visited Mr Hawkins to check on his welfare and denied issuing an ultimatum to him.

The married couple, of Richmond Road, Six Bells, Abertillery, denied the charges against them which the prosecution say took place between May 14-15, 2018.

Craig Dewar was found guilty of kidnap and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after a trial but acquitted of causing grievous bodily harm.

The court heard how Zoe Dewar told detectives she had been involved in an “exciting” affair with Mr Hawkins, an older man from Cwmbran.

She said: “It was crazy, crazy, crazy. I would go down to his or he would book hotels. I was living like I was single and I could do what I wanted. It was exciting and we slept together numerous times.”

Mr Kendall told the jury: “Mr Hawkins left work at around 5pm. He was driving his Ford van along his usual route home when, suddenly, he was overtaken by a silver Hyundai Tucson.

“The Tucson positioned itself in front of Mr Hawkins’ van and slammed on its brakes, causing Mr Hawkins to have to stop sharply. It then reversed up to Mr Hawkins’ van, on the face of it, to stop him from driving away.”

The prosecution said a man got out of the Tucson and ran up to Mr Hawkins’ window, reached through and took the keys out of the ignition before moving around the front of the van and getting into the passenger side.

Mr Kendall said he then handed the complaint the keys to the van and shouted: “Follow the car in front or I’ll cut your throat open” as he pushed hard into his neck with a pair pliers.

“Understandably, Mr Hawkins was scared and so he did what was asked of him, following the silver Tucson.

“Eventually, the two vehicles drove through Blaenavon’s Thomas Gilchrist Industrial Estate. Mr Hawkins attempted at one stage not to follow the Tucson but the male in the passenger seat took hold of the steering wheel and made him follow it, saying again, ‘Follow that car or I’ll kill you’.”

The jury were told as the two men were going through the industrial estate, they passed the offices of a company called SRS and there were “lots of people coming out of the offices, having just finished work”.

Mr Kendall added: “Seeing them, Mr Hawkins braked sharply and swerved into a kerb, before sounding his horn continuously in order to try to attract their attention.

“He undid his seat belt and tried to get out of the van. As he did so though, the male tried to stop him, striking him a number of times to the head/left side of his face.

“Mr Hawkins eventually managed to get out of the van, essentially falling out onto the floor. A number of people came to his aid. Mr Hawkins told them he thought he’d been carjacked.

“The male who had assaulted Mr Hawkins was seen to run away towards the silver Tucson, get into it and drive away.”

Mr Kendall said the complainant was treated at Abergavenny’s Nevill Hall Hospital.

Craig Dewar was granted conditional bail and is due to be sentenced on August 19.

Judge Nicola Jones warned him that “all sentencing options are open”.