A SAUNDERSFOOT man has confessed to multiple offences involving indecent images of children, a court heard on Saturday.

Wayne Mansbridge, 56, of Oak Grove, Twycross, Saundersfoot, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on 5th October, where he admitted to making and possessing indecent images of children.

Mansbridge pleaded guilty to charges of creating Category B and C indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children. He also admitted to possessing images across all three categories – A, B, and C – the most serious of which, Category A, includes material depicting the most severe forms of child abuse.

The offences spanned a period from 24th June 2020 to 27th September 2023. Due to the severity of the case, magistrates declined jurisdiction and transferred the matter to Swansea Crown Court for sentencing later this month.

Mansbridge was remanded on conditional bail until his sentencing. As part of his bail conditions, he is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 18. Additionally, he must make all electronic devices available for inspection by the police, register at Swansea Central Police Station, and live and sleep at his home address. Mansbridge is also restricted from using any social media accounts not registered in his own name.

The case will next be heard at Swansea Crown Court, where Mansbridge will be sentenced.

A COURT has heard how a 21-year-old woman, described by her solicitor as “vulnerable,” was forced to drive her car by her violent and intimidating ex-partner just minutes after smoking a cannabis joint.

This week, Iola Williams-Jones appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates, where she pleaded guilty to a charge of driving over the legal drugs limit.

Magistrates heard how Williams-Jones, of Olivers View, Pembroke, was stopped by officers in Commercial Row, Pembroke Dock, at around 5am on 31 March.

“They stopped her black Ford Fiesta due to the manner of her driving,” said Crown Prosecutor Nia James.

“When they spoke to her, they noticed her pupils were glazed, and there was a smell of cannabis coming from the car.”

During her interview with officers, Williams-Jones admitted to smoking cannabis about 30 minutes before being stopped. A subsequent blood test confirmed she had 8.4 mg of cannabis in her blood. The legal limit is 2.

However, the defendant’s solicitor explained that the offence was the result of a prolonged period of violence and intimidation by her ex-partner.

“She was violently woken during the night by her ex-partner, who told her he needed to leave the property,” said her solicitor.

“She was frightened because he had assaulted her in the past.

“He handed her a cannabis joint and told her to smoke it, claiming it would calm her nerves.”

Williams-Jones then drove off with him in the car.

“She was extremely distressed about driving and stopped several times,” the solicitor continued. “But she was repeatedly and aggressively urged by her ex-partner to continue. Fearing the repercussions if she refused, she carried on driving.”

After taking the mitigating circumstances into account, magistrates disqualified Williams-Jones from driving for 12 months. She was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £32 surcharge.

REPEATED attempts to source a fighting dog currently in a police compound so that a court behaviour assessment can be carried out have failed repeatedly.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates were told that repeated requests by Megan Poupard’s solicitor to ascertain the location of her dog have failed.

As a result, defendant Megan Poupard of Sunningdale Drive, Hubberston, was this week told that she must wait a further four weeks for sentencing after being convicted of possessing the XL Bully fighting dog at a magistrates court hearing last month.

“Nothing has been received from the Crown Prosecution regarding where the dog is being kept, enabling a behaviour check to be carried out” said Poupard’s solicitor, Jess Hill.

“We’ve no idea where the dog is, so I have to request a further adjournment so we can find out its whereabouts to obtain further reports.”

Meanwhile Crown Prosecutor Nia James said she had made numerous attempts to find out the dog’s whereabouts in the days leading up to this week’s hearing.

“Because of a security issue, they’re not allowed to give out the location of the dog,” she said.  “The dog section has been emailed, but there’s still no reply.

“I accept totally that this is not a good position for the Crown to be in.”

At the previous hearing, magistrates were told that police officers were called to a property in Milford Haven on March 24 following numerous reports from members of the public that a dog was running loose on the road, causing what the Crown Prosecution described as ‘a hazard’ to drivers.  There they found Poupard’s XL Bully enclosed in a front garden.

She previously pleaded guilty to possessing or having custody of a fighting dog.

Following the defence’s request, the matter was adjourned to November 5 and Megan Poupard was released on unconditional bail..