A 62-year-old Pembrokeshire resident, David Rees, has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a private place and common assault. The charges follow a dramatic incident involving armed police response in St Dogmaels village on September 16.

Rees, who appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court last week, is accused of beating a man at a local building plot. Additionally, he faces allegations of possessing a concealed weapon—a sword stick, which is a sword hidden within a walking stick, found in his residence.

The episode led to a significant police deployment including armed officers, canine units, and a helicopter in the usually tranquil village, indicating the seriousness of the situation. Police described the event as an “isolated incident” that was “safely resolved.”

Despite the disturbance, the community saw continued police presence well into the evening to provide reassurance to the villagers.

At his court appearance at Aberystwyth Justice Centre on Wednesday, October 9, Rees did not enter a plea. The court adjourned the hearing until the end of October, pending further clarification from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on the charges related to the bladed article. This adjournment also allows time for Rees to enter his plea.

Pending his next court appearance, Rees has been granted conditional bail with specific restrictions, including prohibitions on visiting certain addresses and making contact with named individuals.

A JURY has heard the harrowing evidence of a woman who was allegedly raped in a lane in Milford Haven by 19-year-old Nathan John.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was just 16-years-old when she was allegedly led down a lane after leaving Circles nightclub on the night of October 2, 2022.

“I didn’t want to go [down the lane], because I didn’t trust him,” said in a pre-recorded interview with Dyfed-Powys Police officers that was played to a jury at Swansea Crown Court on Monday afternoon.

“But he’d put my jacket down his trousers and said if I wanted it back, then I had to get it.”

The court was told that John and the young woman had kissed ‘around five times’ earlier that evening when they were both in Circles nightclub.  

But according to the Crown, John’s behaviour towards the woman turned violent when they left the venue.

“When we left Circles he said he was going to walk me home, and I was comfortable in his presence, but when he wanted to go down the lane, he got more aggressive. 

“He grabbed me by the arms and I tried to walk away, but he kept stopping me, and that’s when he pushed me down and got aggressive,” she said.  

“He covered my mouth and slapped me across my face twice, and then he pulled my jeans down. 

“By now I was crying and I just wanted to go home.”

“When he was raping me, I just accepted that that was what he was doing – I was scared of him.”

The young woman, now 18, who gave her evidence with her shoulders hunched forward, staring at her hands, said that John bit her on the cheek and grabbed her hair, using it to pull her up.

“He then grabbed me by the chin and ejaculated in my mouth,” she said.  

But under cross-examination after the complainant took to the witness stand in Swansea Crown Court the defence barrister John Tarrant, KC, claimed she had consented to having sex with Nathan John.

“There was a suggestion by you to take things further, and immediately outside the alley you were both keen on each other and you both wanted to have sex.

“Did you walk in, on your own free will, knowing that you were going to have sex? 

“Did you undo the belt on his jeans? 

“Did you pull his jeans down?”

Close to tears, the woman rejected each of the defence’s claims.

“No, I did not,” she said.

Richard John has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of sexually assaulting two women, both aged 16, in October 2022 and May 2024. 

These include two charges of rape.

His trial is expected to continue throughout this week.

ANGLE All-Weather Lifeboat was requested to launch at 3:44pm yesterday afternoon following a call for assistance from the skipper of a 30ft yacht in Dale Anchorage. The vessel was suffering from electrical issues, and after an unsuccessful attempt to rectify the issue the yachts crew contacted the coastguard for assistance.

The lifeboat launched shortly after and was soon with the vessel. They found the yacht at anchor, but with an increasing easterly wind expected overnight the skipper was reluctant to remain in the area.

They found crew swiftly set about rigging a tow and not long after the yacht was safely under tow, bound for Milford Marina.

Once off the entrance to the docks channel, the yacht was transferred into an alongside tow and taken safely into the marina.

With no further assistance required, the lifeboat departed the marina and was back alongside the jetty and readied for further service by 6pm