News
Motions ‘kicked into the long grass’
MEMBERS of the Corporate Governance Committee felt that two notices of motion were being ‘kicked into the long grass’ on Monday.
Cllrs Viv and Mike Stoddart both saw their motions sent to the Constitutional Issues Working Group, a group which has not met since April 2014.
The working group was the subject of much debate and Council Leader Jamie Adams stated that he was happy to commit to the group meeting by the end of February but other councillors were not convinced.
Cllr Mike Stoddart proposed that a person putting forward a Notice of Motion, if he/she wishes, could propose that it be debated on the day and the council would vote on the matter.
Cllr Michael Williams said: “I find the recommendation a bit strange because in the leaders’ meeting last week there was a general acceptance that the Constitutional Issues Working Group was at best in a state of complete torpor. When did it last meet? This is certainly a boot into the long grass”.
Acting Head of Paid Service Ian Westley added: “This particular issue was raised by myself because whilst I understand there are issues about how often this group has met and how affective it might have been, the issue that was raised at that meeting was in fact that it is still in place and we should bring it back on track and use it for its intended purpose. This is nothing to do with kicking things into long grass”.
Cllr Kilmister added: “We already have a constitution which says how a notice of motion should be dealt with and that should be that it goes to this committee for a decision and then it goes on to council. This committee is being used in the wrong way. We need to put it back to council and stop referring these things. We shouldn’t be extending this process. We need to determine this and if it goes to the working group it will be lost for months to come. They haven’t once looked at the notices of motion and it is a complete farce!”
Cllr Jacob Williams said: “These issues do not need to go off to a Constitutional Issues Working Group, which is, in my opinion, kicking it into the long grass and I would also disagree that this committee should be able to kick it there without it going back to council”.
Cllr Viv Stoddart proposed that non-executive members should be allowed to ask questions or comment on an agenda item at an executive meeting.
She said: “My motion seeks to close the gap at Pembrokeshire County Council. A non-executive member can send representations to the Cabinet member who may inform the Cabinet of the issues brought to his or her attention. The key word there is ‘may’. Non-executive members should not have their representations subject to the whim of the Cabinet member. This discretion affords the Cabinet member an opportunity to abuse their positions of power.
“If we go back to autumn 2013, when the proposed merger of schools in my ward was on the agenda for the November Cabinet meeting, I emailed my contribution to all members; did the cabinet member raise my email? There wasn’t a word from the cabinet member.
“There is no equality of arms between the non-executive member and the cabinet member. The Cabinet member, during the debate, can make the case for his ward. This gives them an unfair advantage over the non-executive members.
“When it comes to scrutiny, in September, the leader accepted that Cabinet members needed to be more inclusive in the way they dealt with members.
“If this is accepted it will be seen by the public as being more open and transparent”.
Council Leader Jamie Adams said: “We need to recognise that the process of undertaking a complete review of the constitution is the way forward to provide a firm footing for the council to operate.
“The opportunity is with us to shape how we operate in the future; we’ve got an opportunity in our grasp within three months we could have that on the table. I would suggest our efforts be concentrated on that rather than adopting well-meaning aspects of change when we can have a fundamental review”.
Cllr Jacob Williams said: “I completely support the proposal and it is interesting as the leader says it’s got merit so I can’t see why he would be keen to kick it into the long grass. We’ve got to grab the bull by the horns and get on with it”.
Cllr Kilmister stated that Cabinet should be more accessible and that it was time for councillors to speak for themselves.
Ian Westley added: “I share your frustrations. As officers we are being told of the need to redraft elements of the constitution, it’s in all of our interests to do. You’ve heard the leader commit to calling a meeting of the Constitutional Issues Working Group before the end of this month and his commitment to attempt to get the constitution redrafted by the annual council which is not four months away”.
Speaking earlier in the meeting, he stated that he saw the recommendations for the two agenda items as a positive way of moving forward.
Council Leader Jamie Adams added: “It has proved difficult and we’ve probably got bogged down which is why we agreed a set of principles to guide the council forward. If we’re chipping away at the current constitution I don’t believe we would be doing ourselves much of a service and I gave the commitment at the leaders meeting and I am happy to do it again here that I see a real opportunity to get a new working constitution to council by the AGM this year. I’d like to think that is a far better way forward”.
Crime
Recycling company brought before Judge after JCB crushes employee
A PEMBROKESHIRE-BASED recycling company has been brought before a district judge after an employee was seriously injured by a JCB loading shovel.
TBS Recycling and Skip Hire appeared before Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest magistrates court earlier this week when company director, Steven Thomas, pleaded guilty to failing to discharge general health, safety and welfare duties to an employee.
The incident occurred on March 31, 2021, at the TBS recycling and skip hire unit which is situated at the Waterston Industrial Estate, between Neyland and Milford Haven.
“An employee of the company was working on the site when he spotted something caught in the wheel of a four-ton JCB,” commented a lawyer for the Health and Safety Executive.
“He went to clear it and the person who was in the [JCB] driving seat knew he was doing it. But he was distracted and believed the other employee had left. So he lowered the shovel, but it crushed him.”
As a result, the employee sustained crushed ribs and damage to his lungs and breathing.
“But he’s since made a good recovery,” said the Health and Safety Executive lawyer.
Steven Thomas, of Cross Farm, Walwyns Castle Road, Ties Cross, will be sentenced by Judge Layton when he sits at Llanelli Magistrates Court on June 6.
Crime
Pembrokeshire car salesman caught driving on cocaine
A PEMBROKESHIRE car salesman has appeared before a District Judge after being caught driving a cream BMW through Kilgetty after taking cocaine.
Fraser Finlay was stopped by police officers on the night of October 3, 2023, as he drove the vehicle along Clayford Road in Wooden.
The officers’ suspicions had been aroused when the trade insurance which covered his vehicle failed to show up on their system.
A roadside breath test was carried out which proved positive and Finlay, 25, was conveyed to a police custody suite where further blood tests were carried out for analysis.
These showed he had 20ug/L of cocaine in his system; the legal threshold limit is 10. He was also found to have 800 ug/L of the cocaine derivative benzoylecgonine in his system; the legal limit is 50.
“This conviction means that my client is most likely to see an end to his job,” his solicitor, David Williams, informed District Judge Mark Layton sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates court earlier this week.
“This is because he works as a car salesman.”
Finlay was disqualified from driving for 17 months. He was fined £450 and ordered to pay a £180 court surcharge and £85 costs.
News
Pembrokeshire hostel manager narrowly avoids jail sentence
A FORMER Pembrokeshire homeless hostel manager narrowly avoided a jail sentence this week after a District Judge was shown footage of her kicking a defenceless man as he lay drunk on the floor.
Linda Tysoe, 52, was seen walking over to Shaun Nelmes and kick him repeatedly. She was also seen hurling a can of tomatoes at his head.
As a result, Mr Nelmes sustained extensive lacerations to his face; images of his injuries were shown to the judge.
“The defendant admits the seriousness of her actions and she can see that they look aggressive,” probation officer Charmain Fox told District Judge Mark Layton when he sat at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court earlier this week.
“But over the last seven years, there have been many incidents of a domestic nature where the defendant was the victim. That night, she saw red and her actions were completely out of character.”
The assault took place on the night of October 1 when Mr Nelmes arrived at Linda Tysoe’s home. CCTV video footage shown to the court that was retrieved from her mobile phone showed that he was heavily intoxicated.
“He was extremely intoxicated, so she asked him to leave,” continued Ms Fox.
“When he left, he then tried to gain entry into the homeless hostel which the defendant was managing. She received calls from residents saying that he was outside, so again she tried to remove him but she saw red. She wanted to make clear that his behaviour was completely out of order.”
Ms Fox said that as a result of the attack, Tysoe has now lost her job.
“She is currently living in a caravan outside the family home,” she said.
Tysoe pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm. She was legally represented in court by solicitor Mr Michael Kelleher.
“My client has no previous convictions but she was the victim in previous matters involving the complainant [Shaun Nelmes],” he said.
“At the time this offence was committed, he was on a prison licence for assaulting her.”
Tysoe was sentenced to 16 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months. She was ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation requirement days and must pay £85 court costs and a £154 surcharge.
“On October 1 last year your relationship came to an end and clearly something happened that night which caused this vicious and violent incident,” said District Judge Mark Layton when imposing sentence.
“You kicked him on the floor and threw a can at him which is believed to have been a full can of tomatoes that caused significant injury to his face. This crosses the custody threshold.”
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