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Lifting the lid on the damage of David Stanley Lewis

David Stanley Lewis looking pretty angry at journalist when he was attending court for assault. Has saggy eye bags

"Dishonest" and convicted fraudster becomes Director of Ffos-y-fran coal mine

In 2015, David Stanley Lewis took over operations at the sprawling Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine from the previous operator, Miller Argent. The company became 'Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd' with a complicated corporate structure of parent companies and subsidiaries. After mining illegally for around 15 months beyond the end of its planning permission, Lewis's company declared it was unable to fund the devastated site's restoration. This is despite earning windfall revenue on the illegal coal mining and most recent annual accounts showing £91.2m allocated to the site's restoration. Now a number of local companies are working with David Lewis to help him get away with this - risking their reputation in the process...

Convicted of fraud to feed gambling habit

In 2003, David Lewis was described by judge Jonathan Durham-Hall as "a pathological gambler who demonstrated pathological dishonesty." David Lewis, then 46, defrauded a bank of more than £88,000 in respect of gambling debts. Lewis's only Barrister said "What he did was unlawful, crass, stupid and dishonest."

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Depicts David Stanley Lewis speeding at 99mph in Pontypool

Gambling with lives 17 years on

In 2020, David Lewis was convicted of a serious speeding offense - caught driving at 99mph at the wheel of a Lamborghini Aventador. He was also charged with driving without due care and attention, although the Court later dropped this charge. Lewis was made to pay over £500 and slapped with 6 penalty points, only narrowly keeping his license.

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Depicts David Stanley Lewis with a stack of cash and a wasteland caused by ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine, toxic waste barrels and a sports car are shown either side of him

Probed for illegally burying waste at coal mine

In May 2025, an ex-worker whistle-blows on David Lewis's company for illegally burying toxic waste at the coal mine site. Natural Resources South Wales has launched a probe into the accusation.

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Back in court, this time for violent assault

In June/July 2025, David Lewis accepted a caution by police for physically assaulting Robert Davies, 75, chairman of the Robert Davies Partnership LLP outside his office in Newport, causing actual bodily harm, and leaving a scar on Davies' neck. However, Lewis subsequently broke the terms of that caution and was summoned to court to answer for the violent offence. Lewis evaded conviction as the time-period to prosecute for the offence was exceeded by the Crown Prosecution Service, which the victim (Davies) describes as "wholly unacceptable".

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Birds of a feather - close family member also convicted in court

In June 2025, Mr Stacey Lewis was hauled into court over offenses by his company - S L Recycling - which led to a massive fire breaking out in September 2024. The recycling site fire caused £79,000 worth of damage, polluted land and killed fish in a nearby river. "S L Recycling committed a number of breaches which hindered the fire service putting out the major fire", including a "flagrant safety breach". This prevented fire services putting out the fire more quickly, wasting the time of essential firefighters who spent over 24 hours engaged at the site - potentially risking the lives of others who may have had to call on the fire service in that time.

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Published 18. 07. 2025, updated: 30. 07. 2025
Shows coal mine
Shows coal mine
Shows coal mine
Shows coal mine
Shows site where a coal mine would have been located if it wasn't stopped.

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