Judge condemns “horribly abused” victims as Carmarthen man admits offences

A FORMER Army Cadet instructor from Carmarthen has been sentenced for a string of child abuse image offences after police uncovered indecent material on his mobile phone.

Michael Monks, aged 55, of Russell Terrace, came to the attention of officers when a warrant was executed at his home in May 2022. During the search, police seized his Huawei phone, later discovering dozens of indecent images of children.

A forensic examination found 48 illegal images, including 25 Category A images – the most serious level, involving graphic sexual abuse. Officers also located three images involving bestiality.

The investigation showed Monks had been involved in a group on the encrypted messaging app Wickr, where members exchanged illegal material. The court heard he had both received images and shared four of his own with other users.

At the time, Monks was serving as a leader at the Army Cadet centre in Llanelli.

During his police interview, Monks denied any sexual interest in children and maintained that position until moments before his appearance at Swansea Crown Court.

Judge Paul Thomas KC told him the children depicted were “real victims being subjected to horrific abuse so that people like you could derive sexual gratification”. He added he had lost count of the number of defendants who had tried to claim they viewed such material “out of curiosity”.

The judge noted it was troubling that Monks had only just accepted he had a sexual interest in children, saying meaningful rehabilitation would not be possible unless offenders first acknowledge their behaviour.

Defending, Dan Griffiths said Monks’ reluctance to admit his sexual interest was likely due to shame, not deception. He said there had been no further offending in more than three years, suggesting his client could control his behaviour. Monks also cares for his wife and was willing to comply with any order imposed.

The court also heard of significant delays in the case. Although police received the forensic report in March 2023, they did not seek charging advice from the CPS until January 2025. Judge Thomas described the delay as “wholly unacceptable”.

Monks admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children (Categories A, B and C), three counts of making such images, two counts of distributing images (Categories B and C), and one count of possessing extreme pornography. He had no previous convictions.

With credit for early guilty pleas, the court imposed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. Monks must undertake a rehabilitation programme, complete 200 hours of unpaid work, and comply with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which restricts his internet use. He will also be on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Judge Thomas said he expected the Army Cadet organisation to take whatever action was necessary following the conviction.

Concerns raised over falling rolls and school reorganisation plans across south Pembrokeshire

A CALL for a temporary “breathing space” before any decision is taken on the future of a Pembrokeshire village school at possible risk of closure has been rejected at full council.

At Pembrokeshire County Council’s meeting on Thursday, December 12, members considered a major package of recommendations linked to education reorganisation in the south of the county. The proposals form part of a wider transformation programme responding to sharply declining pupil numbers across the Tenby, Saundersfoot and Stepaside areas.

Under the plans, councillors were asked to authorise a public consultation on establishing a new 3-19 all-through school in Tenby, initially operating across split sites. The long-term ambition is either to rebuild or significantly extend the Ysgol Greenhill site, or potentially relocate to a new site altogether. As part of this process, both Tenby Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and Ysgol Greenhill would be discontinued.

A second set of recommendations proposed establishing a new 3-11 primary school on the Saundersfoot Community Primary School site, with both Saundersfoot and Stepaside schools discontinued.

The supporting report highlighted major surplus capacity in the area’s schools. In the Tenby cluster alone, there are 534 empty places in the primary sector and 341 in the secondary sector. Tenby Church in Wales VC School is forecast to have a surplus of 38.1 per cent in 2025, remaining above 25 per cent for at least four years. Ysgol Greenhill, with space for 1,194 pupils, has just 877 on roll this year, creating a 28.5 per cent surplus.

Saundersfoot Community Primary School, which can accommodate 280 children, had fallen to 151 pupils by 2025—a 49.2 per cent surplus. At Stepaside, enrolment is projected at 107 pupils in 2025, leaving 101 places empty—over half the school’s capacity.

For the Tenby proposals, an amendment by local member Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall was accepted, ensuring the consultation explicitly recognises the value of VC schools and the importance of Welsh-medium secondary education. Members overwhelmingly backed the amended recommendation.

However, an amendment on the Stepaside proposal sparked a lengthy debate. Local member Cllr Alistair Cameron, backed by neighbouring councillor Alec Cormack, urged councillors to defer any decision relating to Stepaside, saying the school had only been officially notified of the proposals a few days earlier.

Cllr Cormack said it was accepted that the current position was unsustainable, with pupil numbers falling “both due to second homes and retirees moving into the area”. He stressed that both Saundersfoot and Stepaside were well-run schools, but “just too small for the buildings we have them in,” and suggested that reducing the size of the sites could eliminate surplus space.

“Today’s proposal is to close the Kilgetty site to save money and then spend money bussing pupils to the Saundersfoot site,” he said. “It’s only natural justice to give the school communities the chance of a fair hearing. There’s no reason to rush this decision today.”

Cllr Aled Thomas, chair of the schools working group, dismissed the call for a delay as “a consultation to have a consultation,” saying the proposals had been “in the public domain for well over 12 months”.

“Members, of course, are going to fight for their communities but this is just a tactic pushing it further down the line,” he added.

Cllr Cormack responded that the school itself had heard about the recommendation only on Monday. “The very people who are expert at delivering education have had no warning of this. I don’t understand why there is a need to press ahead so quickly. The communities deserve to be given more than three days’ notice.”

Cabinet Member for Education Cllr Guy Woodham told members there was no intention to hold any consultation before September 2026, stressing there would be “a lot of time for alternative proposals”.

Cllr Cameron’s amendment to defer the Stepaside decision was defeated by 37 votes to 12, with one abstention later clarified as an accidental mis-vote intending to oppose the delay. The substantive recommendation was then approved by 42 votes to seven.

Union calls for transparency after First Minister declines to detail how additional money has been spent

SCHOOL leaders have demanded greater transparency from the Welsh Government over how hundreds of millions of pounds in additional education funding has been spent, after the First Minister declined to give detailed answers during Senedd scrutiny.

The call comes after NAHT Cymru, which represents school leaders, said £339m flowed to the Welsh Government as a result of increased education spending in England for the 2026/27 draft budget. Of that total, only £39m has so far been allocated directly to core school budgets.

This week, a further £112.8m was allocated to local government following a budget agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru, with ministers indicating that some of that funding will reach schools. However, education leaders have warned that the scale of the pressures facing schools means the additional money is unlikely to close existing gaps.

The Welsh Local Government Association has predicted a £137m shortfall in school budgets across Wales in the next financial year. At the same time, councils are facing an estimated £200m deficit in social care funding, placing further strain on local authority finances and limiting how far additional funding can stretch.

Appearing before the Senedd’s scrutiny committee, the First Minister was questioned by Labour MS Jenny Rathbone, Plaid Cymru MS Cefin Campbell and Conservative MS Mark Isherwood about how education consequentials had been allocated. She declined to give a breakdown of where the additional funding had gone, instead arguing that, under devolution, consequentials are not automatically passed on to specific services.

The First Minister repeatedly pointed to figures showing that Wales spends around seven per cent more per pupil than England. However, education leaders argue that headline per-pupil figures do not reflect the reality faced by schools.

NAHT Cymru’s national secretary, Laura Doel, said the union remained deeply concerned following the evidence session.

She said: “Despite repeated attempts by members from all parties to get a clear answer on consequential funding, the First Minister refused to give one. Instead, she focused on per-pupil spending comparisons with England, but that is not the same as the amount of money that actually reaches schools.

“Local authorities have to retain funding to run essential support services, so to imply that schools are receiving significantly more money is misleading.

“School leaders are crying out for clarity. While we recognise that the Welsh Government and local authorities have autonomy over spending decisions, this question cannot simply be avoided. If funding has been allocated elsewhere, ministers should be open about where it has gone and why.”

Ms Doel added that, regardless of how the figures are presented, schools are struggling to meet rising costs.

“Whatever spin is put on this, schools do not have enough money to meet the needs of learners. Additional funding came to Wales as a result of UK Government decisions, and school leaders are entitled to know how that money has been used.”

The Welsh Government has previously said it must balance competing pressures across public services and that local authorities play a key role in determining how education funding is distributed at a local level.