Crime

Johnston sex offender sentenced for failing to comply with police register

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

A 77-YEAR-OLD sex offender has appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates after failing to comply with the notification requirements following a Crown Court conviction in 2015.

Roy Wilson of Victoria Gardens, Johnston, was requested to attend the police station on December 14 in compliance with the sex offenders’ register requirements. But his failure to attend resulted in a court appearance at Haverfordwest magistrates earlier this week where he pleaded guilty to his failure to comply.

“This is his fifth breach, but it’s the first time that he has been charged,”said Crown Prosecutor, Sian Vaughan. “So on this occasion, the [police] tolerance must have been exhausted.”

Wilson was legally represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher.

“He neglected to register on the 14th but was phoned on the 18th to attend at the police station, where he was interviewed,” he said. “He said he’d forgotten.

“My client is 78 years old and he simply has a bad memory and suffers from various medical ailments, including bone cancer and prostate cancer. He has most things delivered to him and he spends much of the day on his own, asleep. And that is his life.”

Mr Kelleher said that his client tries to record important dates on a noticeboard inside his home.

“Most things that require his action come with a card or some form of notification, but this particular event is a yearly occurrence. It has no notification, so it’s entirely down to him.

“ It was a dreadful mistake, but he realises this now, and he will not make that same mistake again.”

Mr Kelleher informed magistrates that Roy Wilson will remain on the sex offenders register until 2025.

Wilson was fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

Crime

Man sent to Crown Court over historic indecent assault allegations

Published

1 hour ago

December 15, 2025

Court Reporter

A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sent to the Crown Court for trial after appearing before magistrates accused of five historic sexual offences dating back to the mid-1980s.

Martin Howell, aged 54, of Trafalgar Road, Milford Haven, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Dec 10).

The court heard that Howell faces a total of five charges, all relating to alleged offences against a girl under the age of 16.

They include multiple counts of indecent assault on a girl under sixteen, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 1956, as well as charges of inciting a girl under fourteen to commit an act of gross indecency, contrary to the Indecency with Children Act 1960.

All of the alleged offences are said to have taken place on Wednesday, March 27, 1985.

The case is unusual in that the defendant himself was a child at the time of the alleged offences. He was 13 years old, one day short of his 14th birthday.

No pleas were entered during the magistrates’ court hearing.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations and the nature of the charges, magistrates declined jurisdiction and ordered that the case be sent to the Crown Court for trial.

Howell was granted conditional bail.

The case will now proceed at the Crown Court at a later date.

Crime

Three inmates deny murder of Lola James killer at Wakefield prison

Published

4 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THREE prisoners have denied murdering child killer Kyle Bevan, who was found dead in his cell at HMP Wakefield.

Bevan, aged 33, was serving a minimum sentence of 28 years after being convicted of murdering his partner’s two-year-old daughter, Lola James, in Haverfordwest in 2020.

The defendants, Lee Newell, 56, and a second man who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link, where they entered not guilty pleas to a charge of murder.

A third accused, Mark Fellows, 45, did not attend the hearing, but his barrister told the court that he also denies the offence. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf.

Judge Guy Kearl KC said the case would proceed to trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks and is scheduled to begin in June.

***Tragic: Lola James, died in Haverfordwest in 2020***

Bevan was jailed in 2023 after a jury found him guilty of killing Lola James following a prolonged assault lasting several hours. The toddler suffered catastrophic head injuries, which doctors said were comparable to those typically seen in high-speed road traffic collisions.

Medical evidence presented at Bevan’s trial detailed 101 separate injuries, including extensive bruising and scratches, with indications that weapons had been used during the attack.

The court previously heard that Bevan, described as a prolific drug user, had moved into the family home within days of making contact with Lola’s mother, Sinead James, via Facebook.

Bevan, originally from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, had denied murdering the child but was convicted following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.

Crime

Police appeal after digger stolen and attempted break-ins on Old Hakin Road

Published

6 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS POLICE is urging farmers to be vigilant after a digger was stolen and an attempted burglary reported at rural properties off Old Hakin Road, Haverfordwest, in the early hours of Sunday (Dec 14).

Officers say a small digger was taken from a farm and driven around a mile from the scene before being abandoned nearby. A second incident was reported shortly afterwards, in which someone attempted to enter several vehicles and outbuildings at another address before leaving empty-handed.

Rural crime warning

Police have issued fresh crime-prevention advice to the farming community following the two reports, stressing the importance of securing boundaries, machinery and outbuildings.

Farmers are being urged to:

• Install and maintain fences, gates and warning signs.
• Use high-quality locks on barns, sheds and storage units.
• Keep keys to high-value equipment in a safe, secure location.
• Install security cameras in strategic places.
• Join or participate in Farm Watch schemes to share intelligence with neighbours and police.

Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team is also offering farm visits to help mark equipment and carry out security audits. These can be arranged by emailing [email protected].

Further advice on preventing rural crime is available at:
https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rc/rural-crime/