49-year-old found hiding beer can with breath reading over three times the legal limit

A ROSEMARKET motorist has been banned from driving after being found in charge of her vehicle while unfit through drink.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that at around 10:00pm on Saturday (Mar 1), police were alerted by staff at the Johnston garage to a Toyota Aygo that had been driven away from the premises. Subsequent checks confirmed the vehicle was registered to Julie Askew, 49, of The Chantry, West Street, Rosemarket.

Officers travelled along an unclassified road towards Johnston, where they discovered the vehicle parked in a pull-in on Church Road.

“They also saw the defendant, Julie Askew, hiding a can of Bud beer between the seats,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

A roadside breath test produced a reading of 114 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Askew pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink.

Representing her, Fenn Richards told the court that the defendant had pulled over to go for a walk with her partner.

“This has been a significant wake-up call for her, and she hasn’t consumed alcohol since,” she said.

“She has suffered significantly over the past five years as a result of a severely traumatic period in her life, which has led to a decline in her mental health. She has consumed alcohol as a coping mechanism.

“She’s greatly affected by what’s happened over the past five years and has lost a lot of confidence. She’s worked all her life but now, for the first time, finds herself on universal credit. She’s extremely ashamed to be in this situation today.”

Askew was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge. Her licence was endorsed with ten penalty points.

32-year-old said he believed appointment was voluntary after testing positive for cocaine

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been fined after failing to attend a mandatory drugs assessment following a positive test for cocaine.

Phillip Carroll, 32, of Gerald Road, Haverfordwest, had been required to attend the assessment after testing positive for the Class A drug at Haverfordwest police station on Friday (Oct 24, 2025).

“He didn’t realise this was a compulsory assessment, but believed it was voluntary,” his solicitor, Fenn Richards, told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Carroll pleaded guilty to the offence.

Magistrates fined him £80 and ordered him to pay a £32 surcharge. No prosecution costs were awarded, with the court stating the matter should have been dealt with at an earlier hearing.

Suspected drug driver report leads to major police response and multiple arrests

DRAMATIC scenes were reported in Pennar on Monday afternoon (Mar 23) after multiple police vehicles were deployed to stop a car.

The incident happened at around 5:00pm near Pennar Court, Pembroke Dock, where officers located a stationary vehicle following reports of a suspected drug driver in the area.

Police attended and pre-emptively stopped the vehicle, also blocking a second car nearby.

Officers carried out searches of both vehicles and discovered suspected controlled substances.

A 32-year-old woman and a 47-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of possessing class A and class B drugs with intent to supply. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drug driving and possession of class A and class B drugs with intent to supply.

The 32-year-old woman has been released under investigation, while the 31-year-old man and 47-year-old woman have been released on unconditional bail.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed the incident followed reports of a man believed to be driving under the influence in the area earlier that afternoon.