A COURT has heard how a self-employed tree surgeon ‘hit a nerve’ when a customer at a Narberth pub began hurling derogatory comments at him concerning his mother.

Ashley Willliams, 34, refused to accept the comments made to him by fellow drinker Paul Deary, during the incident at The Dragon Inn, Narberth, on the night of October 18, 2023.

“They’d both been drinking at the pub but then suddenly, at around 10pm, the complainant made significant derogatory comments to the defendant from absolutely nowhere, about having sex with his mother,” said Wiliams’ solicitor, Mr Tom Lloyd.

As a result, Ashley Williams, of Stoneyford Farm, Narberth,  launched himself at Mr Deary and pushed him backwards, causing his head to hit a wall.  The force of the impact resulted in considerable injuries to the back of Paul Deary’s head, and a photograph of the wound was shown to the magistrates.

 Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan said Mr Deary required hospital treatment for his injury and sustained 45 stitches to the back of his head which will result in a permanent scar.

In a victim impact statement read out to the court , Mr Deary said the assault has had a profound impact on his life.

“This has made me feel unsafe in my home town,” he said.  “I’m now sofa surfing because I don’t want to be there any more.”

During the altercation, Mr Deary’s mobile phone and necklace were both damaged

Ashley Williams pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Deary causing actual bodily harm and was legally represented in court by Mr Tom Lloyd.

“It wasn’t his intention to cause that degree of injury,” said Mr Lloyd.  “But those completely inappropriate derogatory comments were made and possibly the most important thing to consider is that this all started by that degree of provocation.  And that’s crucial.”

Meanwhile probation officer Julie Norman said that Williams, who is a self-employed tree surgeon, arrived at the pub after finishing work earlier that evening.

“He drank around eight pints of alcohol and as a result, those comments [made by Mr Deary] hit a nerve.  If the defendant hadn’t been drinking, he’d have walked away.”

Williams was sentenced to 26 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months.  He must pay a total of £500 compensation to Mr Deary, which includes £200 for the damage caused to his mobile phone and necklace.  He must pay a £154 court surcharge and £85 costs.

He was also ordered to carry out ten rehabilitation activity requirement days and must wear an alcohol monitoring tag for the next 120 days.

A MOTHER has been fined for driving her toddler to school whilst unfit through drugs.

Haverfordwest magistrates were told this week that teachers at Fenton School, Haverfordwest became concerned at Sophie Boswell’s demeanour when she arrived at the school on April 17.

Police officers were asked to attend the scene, and subsequent blood tests carried out on the 30-year-old mother at the police station revealed she had 1200 mcg of diazepam in her system.  The legal limit is 550.

“My client was going through an extremely difficult period in her life,” her solicitor, Tom Lloyd, told the court.

“She suffers historically from an addiction to prescription drugs after the loss of her father, and things got completely out of control.

“But this offence has given her the opportunity to reassess her life and she’s taken significant steps, off her own back, to make sure that nothing like this will happen again, jeopardising her having custody of her child, because that’s the most important thing in the world for her.”

After pleading guilty to driving a vehicle whilst unfit through drugs, Boswell was disqualified from driving for 14 months.

“We’re concerned that this offence took place at a school and that your driving was attracting attention,” commented the presiding magistrates.  “This is why we are raising the ban from 12 months to 14.”

Bowell was also fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 court surcharge.

POLICE are appealing for information following a garage burglary in the School Lane area of Penally, which occurred between 8:00pm and 10:30pm on Saturday, November 2, 2024. Various items were taken, including:

• STIHL battery-operated hedge trimmer
• STIHL petrol garden strimmer
• STIHL petrol chainsaw (24-inch)
• STIHL petrol leaf blower
• Two beach casting fishing rods with reels

Anyone with information, or who may have been offered these items for sale, is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police. You can reach them online at Dyfed-Powys Police Contact, via email at [email protected], or by calling 101. For those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, please text 07811 311 908.

Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously through Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111 or by visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

Please quote reference number 24000934044.