Team leader breached position of trust at Letterston care home

A PEMBROKESHIRE care worker has been sentenced after admitting assaulting an elderly resident at a residential home in Letterston.

William Gough, aged 42, pleaded guilty to assault by beating when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard the incident took place while Gough was working as a carer at Graylyns Residential Home.

Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told magistrates that the altercation began after Gough removed a cup from the resident as a safety precaution.

“The victim threw a Kylie chair pad at the defendant when she became frustrated,” she said.

“But as William Gough walked towards the kitchen, he threw another seat Kylie towards her.”

The court was told that Gough also made “unpleasant comments” about the woman, although these were said in a separate room and not heard by the victim.

Gough, of Three Meadows, Haverfordwest, was represented by Alexandra Wilson KC, who said her client had no previous convictions and that the resident had not suffered any physical injury.

However, she acknowledged that Gough’s position on the day was an aggravating factor.

“An aggravating factor was that on the day of the offence, Gough’s role was that of team leader and was working in a position of trust,” she said.

She added that Gough is no longer employed at the care home and insisted the offence was out of character.

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order. As part of the sentence, Gough must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also ordered to pay £300 prosecution costs and a £114 court surcharge.

Victim says incident has left him anxious and struggling months later

A TEENAGER was left “terrified” and suffering ongoing anxiety after being assaulted by an oil rig worker at Bluestone holiday park near Narberth, a court has heard.

The incident took place on Friday (Dec 27), just two days after Christmas, at a soft play area within the popular Pembrokeshire resort.

Speaking through a victim impact statement read to Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, the child said the assault had a lasting impact on his mental health and daily life.

“Since the incident I’ve been feeling down and depressed, and this has been noticed by my school,” he said.

“I’ve become very anxious and I think about what happened daily. It was terrifying. It hurts so much and I’m still struggling with how I’m feeling.”

The court heard that 45-year-old Adam Chubb, of Meyrick Park Crescent, Bournemouth, became angry after accusing the teenager of refusing to play with a younger child.

Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told magistrates the situation escalated quickly.

“The defendant snapped, pushing the teenager to his upper back causing him to fall forward,” she said.

“The defendant then pushed the child backwards yet again into the automatic door.”

CCTV footage of the incident was played in court.

Chubb, who works as an offshore oil rig worker, pleaded guilty to assault by beating.

Defending, Michael Kelleher told the court his client had no previous convictions and accepted his behaviour was unacceptable.

“He had an argument with the 15-year-old, and pushed and shoved him,” he said.

“There was no injury, but of course, this should not have happened.

“He’s concerned that as an adult, he should not have reacted like that to a 15-year-old.

“This was completely out of character and he’s desperate to apologise to the child, but until now he’s been unable to contact him.”

Magistrates ordered Chubb to pay a total of £2,683, including a £1,856 fine, a £742 court surcharge and £85 costs.

THE ROW over Peter Mandelson has escalated after the Welsh Government cleared its own dealings with the Labour grandee — as UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of “lying” about him.

First Minister Eluned Morgan ordered a review into communications between Welsh Government officials and Mandelson following pressure from Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth.

The investigation examined all correspondence — as well as material from documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein — and concluded there was “nothing which represented a risk to the conduct of Welsh Government business.”

But the findings come as Mandelson is once again at the centre of a growing political storm in Westminster.

Westminster clash

Speaking on LBC, Badenoch claimed Starmer had misled Parliament over Mandelson, saying: “This is a man who tells lies at PMQs… just like he did with Peter Mandelson when he said, ‘I didn’t know the full extent of his relationship’, and the papers… showed the opposite.”

While such language would be ruled out of order in the Commons, the accusation marks a significant escalation in political rhetoric around the issue.

Labour has not yet responded to the claims.

Questions remain

In Wales, ministers insist the matter has been fully examined and closed.

However, the Welsh Government has not published the underlying correspondence reviewed, nor detailed the extent of any contact with Mandelson.

That lack of transparency may leave the door open to further scrutiny — particularly given the wider controversy now unfolding at UK level.

Political risk

Although no wrongdoing has been identified, the timing is sensitive.

With the Senedd election approaching, any perceived links — however indirect — to a figure caught up in a Westminster row involving Epstein-related material could prove politically damaging.

Opposition parties are likely to argue that the issue is no longer just about internal processes, but about public trust.

For now, the Welsh Government is standing by its findings.

But as the row intensifies in Westminster, the Mandelson question may not be going away any time soon.