News

Haverfordwest: Hospital supporters snub Labour’s Withybush protest

Published

8 years ago

April 29, 2018

PRESELI Pembrokeshire Labour Party, who say they are opposed to plans to downgrade Pembrokeshire’s main hospital staged a protest in Haverfordwest on Saturday (Apr 28).

However local Conservative activists have accused Labour of hypocrisy, as it is they who are in charge of health as the party running the Welsh Government. The protest was not well attended, with some locals telling The Herald that they did not want to attend a politically-led protest. Some people took to social media said Labour was just ‘political point-scoring’.

Hywel Dda health board announced proposals to radically alter services at its hospitals under three options. All would involve changing Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest from a general hospital to a community one, with the A&E having to close. A public consultation on the proposed options is to run for 12 weeks.

As The Herald reported on Friday (Apr 27), more than 18,000 people have signed a petition opposing the downgrade of their local hospital.

Shop assistant Myles Bamford-Lewis, the campaigner who started the petition was against Labour’s protest said: “This is quite disappointing, there needs to be a joint effort to protect our services from all parties but this does very much look like Labour are trying to get one up on political rivals in the county as no one outside the Labour Party had been invited.

Taking to Facebook, he added: “I haven’t got time for people who are out for personal gains and that’s why my petition was made with no mention of any single political party. The fight for Withybush needs to be inclusive and not exclusive and by “taking the lead” this will no doubt upset the conservatives and other parties in the county who also feel very strongly about the state of play with our hospital. Divisiveness can only cause divisions in our cause.”

Preseli Pembrokeshire Labour Party group organised the protest on Saturday which comes just over a week after the plans were announced.

A spokesman for the Preseli Pembrokeshire Labour Party told The Herald: “Any such proposal is strongly opposed by the Constituency Labour Party and we will be campaigning against any such moves by Hywel Dda to remove or downgrade current services provided by the hospital and provide them outside of Pembrokeshire.”

There were only up to fifty people at the protest according to those who attended.

Hywel Dda’s chief executive Steve Moore has said the trust, with Wales biggest budget deficit of around £69m, does not have the option of doing nothing, which they had considered.

Hands off our hospital: Local Labour campaigners are opposed to reform (Pic: M Hillen/Herald)

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.