Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement

News

MINUTES MEDDLER UNMASKED

Published

on

gwynnevans

Another Pembrokeshire Herald Exclusive

THE WEEK before last the Herald exclusively revealed that an unnamed senior officer at Pembrokeshire County Council tampered with the minutes of panel meetings where applications for European cash grants for notorious building restoration projects in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock were considered.

The grant schemes are mired in controversy and in February the council had no option but to self-refer allegations of fraud to the police after clear evidence came to light in one project of favourable treatment in the tendering process to the successful building contractor.

The county council is protecting the identity of the officer who tampered with the grant panel minutes, however the Herald can now exclusively reveal it was GWYN EVANS, the authority’s key manager overseeing European funding

In A scarcely believable twist of events, the Herald also understands after higher up council personnel became aware of the scale and nature of Mr Evans’ alterations to numerous grant panel meeting minutes, he underwent disciplinary proceedings resulting in just a WRITTEN WARNING.

Mr Evans has worked as ‘European Manager’ at Pembrokeshire County Council since August 1996 according to a publically accessible professional profile he created online.

His page on the popular vocational social networking site LinkedIn – the business sector equivalent of Facebook – outlines a comprehensive career in high profile European funding roles.

Previously working as a ‘Principal Admin Officer (EU Funds)’ at Bridgend College between 1994-1996, Mr Evans says on LinkedIn that his role there “involved overseeing the projects to ensure they complied with regulatory requirements and project closure,” and during the prior twelve year period he held ‘various accountancy positions’ at Mid Glamorgan County Council.

Under the ‘Skills & Expertise’ section of his LinkedIn profile, Mr Evans boasts dozens of talents including ‘Governance, Compliance, Project Management,’ ‘Contract Management,’ and ‘Report Writing.’ He also states he is a “Past chairman of Welsh European Officers Group.”

Fiddling with documents relating so closely to the grant scheme which is now under police investigation as well as internal review by the authority’s Audit Committee is something the council’s Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Michael Williams, told the Herald is “a shocking revelation.”

Cllr Williams, who’s served Tenby as a councillor for over 45 years and doesn’t know the identity of the officer, told the Herald: “Quite frankly I’m becoming lost for words. What on earth will be next? If elected members are no longer able to trust senior officers to properly record decisions and maintain council documents, then we are lost.”

Adding: “The entire basis of democratic accountability is seriously threatened by what has been going on in Pembrokeshire for too long now. I was elected first in 1968, and at that time I had complete faith in officers and fellow members. Under the present regime that trust has been seriously eroded, and it’s not hard to see why.”

The fact that Mr Evans tampered with the council’s records of grant panel meetings only recently came to light after he was brought to task by an internal disciplinary process. It is not known who discovered the alterations Mr Evans made, or how, but he made them directly following a Freedom of Information request submitted to the council by Milford Haven (Hakin) Councillor Mike Stoddart on 29 May 2013.

Cllr Stoddart’s FoI request sought copies of the minutes of all grant panel meetings of the Commercial Property Grant Scheme (CPGS). Following receipt of Cllr Stoddart’s request, Gwyn Evans made several alterations to the minutes of multiple panel meetings that have all been seen by the Herald, many of which make it appear as though more scrutiny of grant applications took place than was recorded in the unaltered minutes.

Following Mr Evans’s written warning, Cllr Mike Stoddart was sent a letter by the authority’s Head of IT and Central Support Services, John Roberts, outlining the alarming discovery and apologising that the documents disclosed to him under the FoI act in 2013 were not accurate as they had been fiddled with in-between his submission of the request, and the documents being provided to him.

All of the alterations were made to the minutes of grant panel meetings which recommended grant funding be awarded to properties owned by controversial developer Cathal McCosker, or companies of his. The panel, made up entirely of unelected officers, recommended that the council’s elected cabinet should formally award public cash for 10 Meyrick Street at a meeting held on 15 December 2011, 29 Dimond Street at a meeting on 13 February 2012, and 31 Dimond Street on 4 May 2012.

Many of the changes concerned the addition of detail and tidying up of sentences, but some also introduced completely new elements which were not included in the untampered minutes. Added to the minutes concerning 29 Dimond Street (occupied then, as now, by Paul Sartori charity shop) was a completely new sentence: “The Panel agreed that the existing photos showed the building to be in a poor state of repair and in clear need of renovation.”

Changes were not only written to conceal they were added in after the fact, but a further alteration to the 29 Dimond Street panel meeting minutes was cunningly crafted to imply panel members showed an element of foresight, by the addition of the text: “…whilst jobs created/accommodated and enterprises accommodated outputs are not expected in the short term (as the Sartori Charity Shop is expected to remain here in the immediate future), there is a possibility that a new enterprise may move into the premises before the end of the Programme.”

As well as pointing out all of the alterations that had been made, Mr Roberts sent Cllr Stoddart full copies of the original unedited documents, and referred in his letter to the relevant statute which relates to the “Offence of altering etc. records with intent to prevent disclosure.”

Section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 was quoted, which states that any person is guilty of a criminal offence “if he alters, defaces, blocks, erases, destroys or conceals any record held by the public authority, with the intention of preventing the disclosure by that authority of all, or any part, of the information to the communication of which the applicant would have been entitled”.

Concluding his letter, Mr Roberts told Cllr Stoddart he would be making a formal referral of the matter to the relevant authorities: “I will be making the Information Commissioner’s Office aware of this matter in order that the Information Commissioner may give it consideration.”

The maximum fine that can be imposed following conviction of the crime of altering documents intended to prevent disclosure of information to which a person is entitled, is £5000, though where multiple documents are concerned, it is unclear if each would be treated as a separate charge under the legislation.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crime

Case reopened after emergency worker assaults in town centre incident

Published

on

A MAN convicted of assaulting two police officers and verbally abusing two women in Haverfordwest has had his case reopened—but his convictions and sentence remain in place.

DANIEL WATSON, aged 36, of Rowan Drive, Heybridge, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday afternoon (July 14) for a legal application under Section 142 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 to reopen his case.

The original conviction, imposed on May 13, 2025, was set aside and reheard in full. Following review, magistrates reimposed a community order with an increased duration.

The court heard that on April 24, 2025, Watson launched a series of abusive and violent acts in Haverfordwest, including:

  • Using threatening and abusive behaviour towards Tanya Sargeant and Beth Davies, causing them harassment, alarm or distress.
  • Assaulting PC 1162 James, a female police officer, and PC 1390 Rees, a male officer, during the incident.
  • Resisting PC James while she was carrying out her lawful duties.

All offences took place on the same day in the town.

Magistrates imposed a revised 18-month community order requiring Watson to complete up to 10 days of rehabilitation activity, extended from the original 12 months due to the serious nature of the offences.

Watson was also fined £480, ordered to pay £50 in compensation to each officer, a victim services surcharge of £114, and £85 in court costs, bringing his total financial penalty to £779. He must pay in instalments of £50 per month starting from September 8, 2025.

The offences were officially recognised as aggravated due to being committed against emergency workers acting in the course of their duties.

Continue Reading

Crime

Stalking offender’s alcohol tag removed after court agrees it is ‘inappropriate’

Published

on

A MAN who stalked a woman and caused damage to her property has had his alcohol abstinence requirement revoked by the court on medical grounds.

THOMAS JONES, aged 35, of Croft Road, Broad Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (July 14) for an application to amend his existing community order.

The application, brought by the National Probation Service, sought to remove the Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) from a sentence imposed in May this year. The court was told the requirement was inappropriate as Jones is alcohol dependent.

Magistrates granted the request, revoking the original order made on May 6 and replacing it with a revised community order.

Jones was originally sentenced for two offences committed in Milford Haven.

The first involved criminal damage on July 21, 2024, when he damaged a door, radiator, cat litter tray and scratch pole belonging to a woman.

The second offence was stalking the same woman, between December 5, 2024, and January 22, 2025. The court previously heard that Jones attended her address on multiple occasions, made over 100 phone calls in a four-day period over Christmas, sent direct and indirect messages including Facebook posts, and left unsolicited gifts including a parcel and an envelope containing a spa voucher.

For the stalking offence, Jones was fined £80 and handed a community order requiring him to complete up to 20 days of rehabilitation activity by July 13, 2027.

A new collection order has been made for the unpaid fine, which must be paid by August 11.

Continue Reading

Crime

Man arrested after stabbing in Tenby housing estate

Published

on

A MAN was taken to hospital with stab wounds following a serious incident in a quiet residential estate in Tenby on Monday (July 14).

Emergency services were called to Hafalnod, a cul-de-sac near the edge of town, shortly before 2:00pm. A heavy police presence, including firearms officers, remained at the scene for several hours.

Police cordoned off a section of the estate, sealing off footpaths and green areas with tape, while officers carried out house-to-house enquiries. Images taken by The Pembrokeshire Herald at around 5:30pm show at least three marked vehicles, officers at the scene, and what appears to be blood on the pavement.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police told The Herald: “Dyfed-Powys Police received a report of an assault in the Hafalnod estate, Tenby, at about 1:40pm on Monday, July 14.

One man was taken to hospital after being stabbed with a knife. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers, including firearms officers, remained at the scene throughout the day whilst they carried out their enquiries.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent and remains in police custody.

We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.

There continues to be an increased police presence within the area, and if anyone has any concerns please speak to those officers.”

The Herald understands from the victim’s family that he is recovering in hospital.

Anyone with further information is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police quoting the incident in Hafalnod on July 14.

Continue Reading

Crime1 hour ago

Man arrested after stabbing in Tenby housing estate

A MAN was taken to hospital with stab wounds following a serious incident in a quiet residential estate in Tenby...

Charity10 hours ago

Swimmer with 1% chance of survival returns to Newgale to thank lifesavers

London woman reunited with Wales Air Ambulance medics one year after near-fatal sea rescue A LONDON woman who was given...

News16 hours ago

Inquest opens into tragic A478 Blood Bike crash

AN INQUEST has been opened into the death of a retired Blood Bikes Wales volunteer who died following a crash...

Crime19 hours ago

Carmarthen link to baby manslaughter case: Couple camped on wasteland behind Tesco

Constance Marten and Mark Gordon once lived rough by Five Fields Allotments before baby’s tragic death in Brighton A COUPLE...

Community1 day ago

Summer Safety Fest brings positive change in Milford Haven

Under-the-bridge event tackles anti-social behaviour through community collaboration MILFORD Marina was transformed into a hub of activity and community spirit...

Business1 day ago

Port Talbot steelworks enters green era – but thousands already out of work

5,000 jobs secured as electric arc furnace construction begins, but unions call transition ‘bittersweet’ WORK has officially begun on a...

Charity2 days ago

Community unites for Forever 11 charity day in memory of Zac Thompson

Family fun, heartfelt tributes and water safety awareness mark touching event A REMARKABLE show of community spirit filled the fields...

Community2 days ago

Beating of the Bounds brings colour and community spirit to Haverfordwest

Annual river tradition draws crowds and praise HAVERFORDWEST’S historic Beating of the Bounds returned in style this weekend, as hundreds...

Community3 days ago

Sunshine, sparkle and spirit at Neyland Carnival 2025

Crowds pack the streets for a colourful celebration of community and creativity NEYLAND was transformed into a vibrant sea of...

News3 days ago

Third robbery in two months at Milford Haven shop

Two women arrested after latest armed raid at Pill Corner Store POLICE are investigating a third robbery in just two...

Popular This Week