Crime

Man jailed for growing £500,000 worth of drugs in Pembroke

Published

1 year ago

November 15, 2024

A MAN has been jailed after police uncovered a cannabis farm worth up to £500,000 at a former Lloyds Pharmacy in Pembroke.

Amarildo Daja, 27, was arrested during a raid at the vacant Main Street property at around 10:00am on Friday, October 18. Inside, officers found 575 cannabis plants spread across three rooms on the first floor. Daja pleaded guilty to being involved in the production of cannabis and was sentenced to 12 months in prison by Judge Geraint Walters.

***Caged: Amarildo Daja was sentenced to 12 months. (Image: Police)***

RAID AND ARREST

Swansea Crown Court heard that Daja initially tried to flee when officers arrived but returned inside and hid in the ceiling. After being coaxed down with a ladder, he was arrested. Prosecutor Harry Dickens said Daja had been living at the property to tend to the cannabis plants, and the building’s electricity supply had been tampered with to avoid detection.

Two mobile phones were seized at the scene, but one had been wiped, and the other was damaged.

PLANTS AND STREET VALUE

A drugs expert estimated that the plants could produce between 15 and 45 kilograms of cannabis, with a potential street value ranging from £170,000 to over £500,000.

In police interviews, Daja admitted paying a criminal gang to smuggle him into the UK via lorry. He initially worked in London to repay his debt but struggled to make enough money and agreed to work at the Pembroke cannabis farm three months before his arrest.

DEFENCE AND SENTENCING

Caitlin Brazel, defending, said Daja’s involvement in the operation was a mistake and out of character. “He is disheartened to have tarnished his good character,” she said, adding that he was realistic about receiving a custodial sentence.

Judge Walters expressed concerns about the broader issue of criminal gangs operating cannabis farms, stating: “If we want to bring down the Albanian criminal gangs that set up cannabis factories, we are going to have to find the ringleaders rather than just those who arrive on the back of a lorry.”

The judge also noted that Daja’s deportation upon release would be a matter for the Home Office.

***Grow busted: Building was Lloyds Pharmacy, Pembroke. (Image: Martin Cavaney/Herald)***

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

12 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

13 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

13 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.