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Drink driver refused breath test

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113363-breathalyzer-muir-was-banned-from-the-road-for-two-yearsA MAN from Pembroke Dock who failed to give a breath sample to officers has been disqualified from driving for seventeen months.

Christian Parnell, aged 34, of Well Hill, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide a specimen at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday (Feb 17).

Parnell had pulled up on the side of the road when he saw the police and then got out and ran away.

When they caught up with him they could tell he was intoxicated but he failed to give a breath test. He was taken to the police station where he was asked if he wanted a solicitor. He said he did and waited for him to arrive before giving the breath test.

However, officers did not tell him that they didn’t have to wait for the solicitor to attend and no effort was made by him to provide a sample.

Prosecuting, Ellie Morgan said: “At 1am on Thursday January 15, officers were on patrol on High Street in Tenby and they pulled up outside the Mountain Warehouse shop. They spotted a woman and Mr Parnell approaching a vehicle but when they spotted the police they walked away from the car. This caused the police to be suspicious and a short while later, they noticed a vehicle approaching which pulled in and parked. They noticed it was the same car as earlier and they spotted Parnell getting out of the car and running away. They found him on Upper Park Road in Tenby and they could tell that he was clearly intoxicated as his eyes were glazed and his speech was slurred. He also had the keys for the car in his possession. He was asked to provide a roadside test but failed to do so. He was taken to Haverfordwest Police Station shortly after 2am but the defendant failed to provide a sample of breath. He was stood next to the intoxilyzer machine with his hands folded. He was warned and asked if he understood what he was required to do and he said he did. However, he made no effort to provide a sample and still refused when the pipe was handed to him. He is a man of good character prior to today.”

Defending, Miss Lewis said: “He has failed to provide a specimen but there were 4 or 5 attempts made at the roadside but there was not a sufficient sample so this is not a case where he has outright refused to do so. He also suffers from a nasty gag-reflex which does affect him. My client was also asked if he required legal advice and he said yes. He thought he needed a solicitor there to tell him what to do. No explanation was given to him that the police didn’t have to wait for the solicitor to attend before he gave his specimen. He thought he could wait for the solicitor to arrive before doing so. It was his honest belief that he was entitled to legal advice. It was honestly held but it was an unreasonable excuse.”

Miss Lewis also told the court that Parnell is not currently working as he is on a course in Cardiff which will enable him to be an ultrasonic testing engineer at refineries.

For the offence Parnell was fined £200 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

He was disqualified from driving for seventeen months but he was offered the chance to take the drink drive course which will reduce his ban if completed.

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Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

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It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

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Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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