A 19-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has been found guilty of raping two 16-year-old girls in separate incidents that occurred in Milford Haven and Haverfordwest.

Nathan John, of Richard John Road in Milford Haven, was convicted on Friday (Oct 18) at Swansea Crown Court following a trial in which he faced seven sexual offence charges.

The jury deliberated for approximately three hours and 40 minutes before reaching their verdict.

John was found guilty of six out of the seven charges, including:

• Three counts of rape
• One count of sexual assault by penetration
• One count of sexual assault
• One count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent

He was acquitted of one charge of sexual assault by penetration relating to the second victim.

The first assault took place in the early hours of 2 October 2022, after John had been out drinking in Milford Haven the night before. The second incident occurred on 16 May 2023 in Haverfordwest.

During the trial, the court heard emotional testimony from the victims and their families.

The stepfather of the Milford Haven victim described receiving a distressing photograph of his stepdaughter at a local pub, followed by her return home in a distraught state, claiming she had been raped.

The Haverfordwest victim testified that John had become violent during their encounter, grabbing her by the throat and threatening her with a knife before the assault.

Police officers testified about John’s aggressive behaviour during his arrest near Haverfordwest train station. Body camera footage showed the defendant making threats and attempting to headbutt an officer.

Sentencing is expected to take place in the coming days.

(Image: Artist’s impression of court proceedings)

PEMBROKESHIRE’S Conservative councillors, and the majority of members of the Independent Pembrokeshire Group have voted to reduce the tax burden for second home owners in a vote at a meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council this week.

The Pembrokeshire cabinet, comprised of unaffiliated, Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru members put forward plans to retain the premium at the current rate of 200% – securing investment in new homes and supporting expenditure on front line public services.

Labour says that Pembrokeshire County Council already faces a financial black hole next year – with current estimates showing a funding shortfall of more than £30million. 

Earlier in the meeting the Pembrokeshire Conservatives led by Cllr Di Clements put forward a proposal to slash the premium by 100% which councillors were told would cut £5.2 million from next years budget.

In putting forward the case for continuing with a 200% premium, Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Josh Beynon said: This policy enables the council to raise funds that are then split between affordable housing and funding frontline services, in particular, those services that have been negatively impacted by the number of second homes, particularly, schools. In the 2024/25 budget, 6.5 million of those funds raised went to local schools, money that will not be available in the same numbers for the next year. This funding for 24/25 also included more money for public toilets, street cleansing and parks. Now we have a situation led by Cllr Huw Murphy that means the gap for the budget is £2.6 million larger than it was yesterday.’

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Paul Miller asked for evidence that, since the introduction of the premium, there had indeed been a negative impact on the tourism industry.   He said: Tourism is an important industry for Pembrokeshire and one we are of course keen to support. That said, given that by definition the accommodation units affected by this premium are either sporadically occupied second homes or holiday let’s which are empty at least half of the year, I’ve not yet heard an argument that clearly articulates the negative impact of this policy on the tourism sector. More often the concerns I hear from tourism operators are around the lack of labour supply, which is absolutely linked to housing supply, that concerns about this policy.

Cllr Marc Tierney said that he had sympathy for second home owners who had inherited a property and the council should continue to support them where possible, however he cautioned the opposition that they will need to take seriously discussions around the forthcoming council budget and be realistic that council tax rises were inevitable given the tax break given to second home owners.

Supported by the Pembrokeshire Conservatives, Cllr Huw Murphy on behalf of the Independent Group put forward a reduction in the second home premium to 150% voted through by a small margin.  Cllr Murphy strongly supported the introduction of the 200% premium which came into effect only 7 months ago.

A SERIES of cases heard at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Oct 17) has highlighted the ongoing efforts to combat littering in the region, resulting in fines for several individuals who failed to keep Pembrokeshire’s streets clean.

John Arrowsmith, 38, of Montrose Avenue, Datchet, Slough, was convicted in his absence for depositing a rolled-up cigarette in Milford Haven on 5th April 2024. The court imposed a fine of £220, alongside an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, bringing the total to £574.66.

David Baker, 57, of Charles Street, Neyland, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to dropping a cigarette butt on London Road, Pembroke Dock, on 8th March 2024. Acknowledging his guilty plea, the court fined him £40, with an additional £16 victim surcharge and £132 in costs, totalling £188.

Gavin Merryfield, 37, of Greenacres, South Cornelly, Bridgend, failed to attend court and was found guilty in his absence for littering with a cigarette butt on Sydney Rees Way, Haverfordwest, on 4th April 2024. He was fined £220, with an £88 surcharge for victim services and £266.66 in costs, amounting to £574.66.

Nikki Mitchell, 47, of Waterloo House, Tenby, also faced court in her absence for dropping a cigarette butt on St George’s Street, Tenby, on 10th April 2024. She was ordered to pay £220, with an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, bringing the total to £574.66.

Phil Price, 51, of Ryan Close, Swansea, was found guilty of littering with a cigarette butt on Pier Road, Pembroke Dock, on 8th March 2024. The court fined him £220 and imposed an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, totalling £574.66.

Rhys Thompson, 19, of Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, faced similar charges after he was caught littering with a cigarette butt on Water Street, Pembroke Dock, on 22nd April 2024. Convicted in his absence, he was fined £220, alongside an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, making a total of £574.66.

Martin Willis, 57, of Tharsis Close, Cardiff, was convicted in his absence for leaving a rolled-up cigarette on High Street, Tenby, on 25th March 2024. His penalties included a £220 fine, £88 victim surcharge, and £266.66 in costs, totalling £574.66.

Stephen Richardson, 45, of Prendergast, Haverfordwest, admitted to littering with a rolled-up cigarette at Morrison’s, Haverfordwest, on 1st February 2024. The court took his guilty plea into account and imposed a fine of £123, with a £49 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, bringing the total to £438.66.

Chris Arther, of West End Farm, Haverfordwest, did not attend court but was found guilty of depositing a rolled-up cigarette outside the Co-op on Carmarthen Road, Kilgetty, on 3rd April 2024. He was fined £220, with an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, totalling £574.66.

Sean Baker, 36, of Dew Street, Haverfordwest, was also found guilty in his absence for dropping a cigarette butt on the A477 in Tenby on 23rd April 2024. He faced a £220 fine, an £88 victim surcharge, and £266.66 in costs, amounting to £574.66.

All cases were prosecuted under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, reflecting Pembrokeshire County Council’s commitment to keeping the county clean. The fines serve as a reminder of the financial implications for those who choose to litter, with most facing total penalties in excess of £500.