'Dangerous' Newport criminal jailed for nearly 20 years

Jamie Challis was part of a masked gang who terrorised a family at knifepoint during a terrifying burglary before leaving one woman with “life-changing injuries” after crashing her car when the disqualified driver lost control on a bend while speeding.

The 25-year-old from Newport also started dealing cocaine, rammed cars in a “revenge attack” and tried to smuggle drugs into the prison where he was serving a five-year sentence for stabbing a friend in 2018.

Shortly after his release from jail for wounding with intent and while on licence, Challis was a member of a gang who broke into a family’s home in Bridgend and threatened them with knives while demanding money.

The husband was choked with his scarf and kicked in the face during the shocking raid in January 2022.

The police linked Challis to the crime when they found his discarded mask containing his DNA, Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court.

Jamie Challis (Image: Facebook)

In May later that year he left Nicole Skinner with life-changing injuries after he befriended her and others at a pub in Caerleon.

He had volunteered to drive her car home after telling her he was sober and hadn’t been drinking.

Challis crashed the vehicle when he lost control on a bend while “showing off” as he sped along Newport’s Christchurch Road at 70mph in a 30mph zone.

He collided with another car before he smashed into a wall.

Miss Skinner spent two months in hospital with a fractured skull while a fellow passenger was thrown out of the car and found in a pool of blood.

Challis ran away from the scene without contacting the emergency services.

The defendant’s next crimes were committed at the end of December 2022 when he used a Range Rover Evoque to ram three vehicles in Newport’s Wye Crescent.

Mr Cobbe said it was suspected that Challis did so because of a grudge held against the victims.

He caused several thousand pounds worth of damage.

A few days later on January 2, police raided a property in Newport’s Merchant Court where they found Challis in bed with a woman.

They also discovered that the defendant had cocaine worth nearly £10,000 as well as £4,515 cash.

Challis, of Maesglas Avenue, Newport had tried to smuggle cannabis into prison while he was being held at Portland Prison in Dorset in May 2020.

The defendant admitted aggravated burglary with a knife, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, criminal damage and conspiring to bring a prohibited article into prison.

His barrister Gareth Williams said of his client: “He’s easily led and made bad decisions.”

Judge Paul Hobson told Challis: “In my judgement, you clearly are a dangerous offender.

“You have a previous conviction for inflicting serious injury with a knife.

“When you were on licence you committed a very serious offence whilst using a knife to make terrifying threats.

“You’re showing through a catalogue of offending an inability to stop committing serious offences.

“The driving incident in May of 2022 involved you causing very serious injury.

“It is only pure chance that someone wasn’t killed as a result of your driving that day.

“Your response was to flee, go into hiding and then after a time continue to commit serious offences.

“The pre-sentence report assesses you as presenting a high risk of causing serious harm, either with the use of weapons or from behind the wheel of a car, and I agree with that assessment.”

Challis was jailed for 19 years and six months.

This was made up of a custodial sentence of 14 years and six months and he will have to serve two-thirds of that term in prison.

Following his release there will be an extended licence period of five years.