Practice raises nearly £1,400 through Carmarthen Mart events and cycling challenge

PROSTOCK Vets has donated nearly £1,400 to Wales Air Ambulance after staging a series of fundraising events in Carmarthenshire.

The total was raised through a bingo night at the Carmarthen Mart canteen, alongside a cake sale and a static bike ride.

Staff set themselves a 133-mile target — matching the distance between the practice’s branches — and went on to exceed it by continuing to cycle after the target had been reached while the mart was taking place.

The practice, which was formed in 2011, has supported the all-Wales lifesaving service since 2016 and has now raised around £5,100 in total.

Sarah-Jane Beynon of ProStock Vets said: “We were really pleased to raise money for such a worthy charity and think our views were reflected in the way the farming community supported us with their presence and generosity for both events.

“The Wales Air Ambulance is an incredibly important charity, and one we often have dealings with or hear about in our line of work. It’s an imperative service to have in the area. We were, therefore, very pleased to be able to play a small part in supporting the Wales Air Ambulance as a charity!”

Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service which can deliver hospital-standard treatment at the scene and, where needed, transfer patients directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.

The service operates through a partnership model, with the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) providing NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work onboard the charity’s vehicles.

Its advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and carry out minor procedures at the scene of an incident. As a pan-Wales service, crews will respond across the country regardless of where they are based.

ProStock Vets has branches in Carmarthen, Llangadog, Teifi, Lampeter and Whitland.

The latest fundraising follows previous efforts by staff at the practice. In 2021, vet Cath Tudor, from Carmarthenshire, completed a 980-mile cycle challenge from Land’s End to John O’Groats, raising £5,076 for Wales Air Ambulance and £3,000 for the DPJ Foundation, a mental health charity supporting the farming community.

Mike May, Regional Fundraising Manager for Wales Air Ambulance, said: “A huge thank you to everyone at ProStock Vets in Carmarthen who have once again raised an amazing amount for our lifesaving service. Since 2016 ProStock Vets has raised over £5,000, which is incredible.

“ProStock Vets know the value of the Wales Air Ambulance to their clients and to themselves and have been big supporters of us.

“Our service is purely funded by charitable donations, and we need to raise £13 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. Every pound raised by ProStock Vets will help save lives across Wales! Thank you so much for your continued support.”

Crown Court criticises magistrates’ reliance on email and questions CPS preparation as Milford Haven pensioner fights conviction

A CROWN Court judge has criticised magistrates for relying on “hearsay” material to convict Milford Haven pensioner Niall Taylor, saying he is entitled to appeal and entitled to a fair hearing.

Taylor, 76, of Haven Drive, Hakin, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday (Jan 13) for a mention hearing in his appeal against conviction.

The court was told Taylor had previously been convicted at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court of driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and using a motor vehicle without insurance.

Taylor had initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea part way through a trial. Questions were later raised over whether that guilty plea was equivocal, and the case was subsequently reopened under section 142 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.

A full rehearing followed, with Taylor entering not guilty pleas. He was found guilty after a trial of the facts and sentenced on Wednesday (Dec 3).

However, at the Crown Court hearing this week, HHJ Geraint Walters voiced serious concerns about the material relied upon to secure the conviction.

The judge was told the magistrates had convicted Taylor after relying on email evidence without a formal witness statement from its author.

Judge Walters said that without a statement, the evidence amounted to “hearsay”, and questioned whether the magistrates had properly applied the law.

He asked: “Do the magistrates know the law? Was this a lay bench?”

Judge Walters also criticised the prosecution’s approach to the appeal, suggesting it was not sufficiently prepared.

He said: “I am triageing all appeals to this court and I want to see this appeal apple pie ready when it comes before me in three weeks time. We won’t hear the case then but we will look at progress.”

The judge questioned the prosecution’s handling of the appeal, asking: “Where is the obligation on the Crown to fairly assist a person appealing and representing themselves?”

During the hearing, Judge Walters warned that if the case was not properly prepared and progressed, it could become drawn into further litigation — potentially even reaching the High Court — and that this could result in it being sent back down to the magistrates’ court again.

The matter will return to Swansea Crown Court in around three weeks for a progress hearing. The appeal itself will not be heard at that stage, but the judge said he expects the case to be ready for effective case management.

The Pembrokeshire Herald understands the appeal will focus on the insurance conviction.

Why the judge’s criticism stands out

The core issue the judge highlighted was the reliance on email evidence without a formal witness statement from its author. Under English and Welsh evidence rules:

• Hearsay evidence (out-of-court statements offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted) is generally inadmissible unless it falls under a specific exception or is admitted via a formal process (e.g., under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 provisions for business documents, res gestae, or other gateways).
• An email, without supporting witness testimony or a formal statement, would typically constitute hearsay if used to prove key facts (such as the status of insurance or licence details).
• The judge explicitly called this “hearsay” and questioned whether the magistrates had properly applied the law on admissibility.

Multiple serious allegations before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court

A MAN accused of a series of serious violent and public order offences has been remanded on conditional bail by magistrates.

Jamie Clews, aged 39, of Spring Gardens, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Jan 12) in connection with multiple alleged offences spanning 2024 and 2025.

The court heard that Clews is charged with threatening a person with an offensive weapon or bladed article on January 1, 2024.

He also faces an allegation of wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent, contrary to section 20 of the Offences Against the Person Act, said to have been committed on June 7, 2024.

Further charges include making threats to kill on June 1, 2024, and criminal damage to property valued under £5,000, also alleged to have occurred on January 1, 2024.

In addition, Clews is accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on December 21, 2025.

The court was also told that on January 7, 2026, Clews was arrested by a police officer for breaking, or being likely to break, bail conditions, an issue which was addressed during the hearing.

Magistrates dealt with the case as an ongoing matter and remanded Clews on conditional bail. The specific conditions were not outlined in open court.

The case was adjourned for a further hearing at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on a date yet to be fixed.