GERALD BAKER FROM BRYNMAWR JAILED FOR ABDUCTING BABY IN WALES AND SPAIN

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Brynmawr and the surrounding areas, Gerald Baker, a man with a long history of criminal offenses, was sentenced to prison for the unlawful removal of his infant son. The incident unfolded during an access visit arranged with social services, which ultimately led to the child being taken out of the United Kingdom and fleeing abroad.

Gerald Baker, aged 46, was handed a sentence of 21 months in prison after admitting to the abduction of his eight-month-old son. His wife, Helene Baker, received a 12-month jail term for her involvement in the same offense. The court proceedings took place at Newport Crown Court on a Thursday, where the details of the case were thoroughly examined.

The court was informed that the baby, who was only eight months old at the time, had been placed into care just two days after his birth. This decision was made due to Gerald Baker’s extensive criminal record, which includes convictions for assaulting young girls and a young boy. Baker had been ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely, reflecting the severity of his past crimes.

His criminal history is extensive and troubling. The most recent conviction prior to this incident occurred in 1998, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for indecently assaulting a three-year-old boy in a caravan in Dorset. Baker’s offenses also include indecent assaults on minors of both genders and unlawful sexual activity involving minors. In addition to his sex-related convictions, Baker has accumulated 19 other convictions for non-sexual crimes, indicating a pattern of criminal behavior.

Further complicating his criminal record, Baker was previously convicted of unlawfully taking a child from her parents—an abduction charge—while he was involved in a relationship with an underage girl. This history underscores the dangerous and unlawful nature of his actions.

According to court reports, the incident in question occurred when Helene Baker took their child from Blaenau Gwent Social Services. The visit was supposed to be a brief, two-hour meeting in August of the previous year. She claimed to have separated from her husband and was permitted to take the baby during an unsupervised access session. However, this visit turned into a serious criminal act when the child was taken without proper consent.

The couple, residents of Brynmawr, was eventually apprehended at the border between Gibraltar and Spain. Their arrest was the result of a tip-off from holidaymakers at a campsite in France, which raised suspicions among authorities. Due to the legal framework in Gibraltar, which does not recognize charges of abduction, the Bakers could not be detained there. Instead, they were held once they crossed into Spain.

Authorities became increasingly suspicious when Helene Baker, aged 37, failed to return the child to social services in Ebbw Vale as scheduled. This failure prompted further investigation, leading to their arrest. In December, both Gerald and Helene Baker pleaded guilty at Newport Crown Court to charges of abducting a child and unlawfully removing him from the UK without appropriate consent. They were remanded in custody and faced the consequences of their actions.

Despite their guilty pleas, the Bakers denied that the abduction had been premeditated. The case highlights the ongoing concerns about child safety, parental rights, and the legal complexities involved in cross-border child abduction cases, especially when involving individuals with a history of sexual offenses and criminal behavior.