News

Guilty of assault on ex girlfriend

Published

10 years ago

November 26, 2014

A TRIAL was held at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after a man from Hakin, Milford Haven pleaded not guilty to assaulting his ex girlfriend. Shaun Lee Roberts, aged 37 of Picton Road was eventually found guilty of the charge. Prosecutor, Nicholas Newton said: “On July 29, the defendant had been out drinking and had come home in the early hours of the morning. His partner was asleep in bed. He suffers from Crohn’s disease and has to have a colostomy bag. The bag leaked while they were in bed and there was an altercation.”

The victim took to the witness stand and said: “We were in a four year relationship and were living together in James Street in a two bedroom house. On that night Shaun had gone out playing pool and when he came in went straight to bed. He got up about two hours later and he fell against the bed. He couldn’t have done his colostomy bag up properly and some of the contents fell on my leg – it was hot that night and I had one leg out of the covers.” She continued to speak about the incident: “I turned the light on and said ‘Shaun, what have you done’ and he was saying ‘It’s all your fault’ and ‘It’s not come from me’.

I went to the bathroom to clear it up and he came in as well because he was covered. I gave him a tissue and he wiped some off his leg and he threw the tissue at my face. I slapped him and pushed him out the way. I thought it was absolutely disgusting and vile. I went into the bedroom and I went to pull the sheets off, but he came in and held me down on the bed and had his fist clenched in the air, and was saying ‘Come on then, come on then’. He wasn’t choking me, it was just enough force to keep me there.

I pulled my legs up kicked him with my feet, and he took his hand off my throat and grabbed my ankles and was twisting them. I was trying to kick back and I managed to push him off with all my force, and I ran down stairs. I opened the door to the living room and held the door to stop him getting in. He was banging on it trying to smash it, but then he hurt his arm and was saying ‘You’ve broken my arm’.

Then he went quiet for about ten to twenty seconds and I opened the door, ran past him and went upstairs. I rang him mum and then my mum.” Roberts told the court: “My bag had leaked and I got up and she kicked me off the bed. There were wet wipes in the bedroom and she started giving me verbal abuse. I was embarrassed about the situation and I had a scrunched up wet wipe in my hand, so I threw it at her.

He continued with his version of events: “She pushed me and started kicking me and I grabbed her ankles, and then she reached up and hit me on the head twice. She was effing and blinding at me. I went to the toilet to clean myself up and she followed me saying ‘Get out of my f****** house’. She went into the living room and slammed the door and I hit it and damaged it and hurt myself.

I went to look at my arm in the mirror and then I went back to the bedroom and cleaned the bed and bedpost.” Roberts is due to be sentenced for charges of actual bodily harm and threats to kill on the same person as in this case and wounding to a male at Swansea Crown Court on October 17. Magistrates said: “We find the evidence of the witness credible and Roberts accepts he held her throat and had a clenched fist. We believe that this is not self defence and are not the actions of a calm man.” Roberts was found guilty of the charge and the case was sent to Swansea Crown Court for sentencing on October 22.

Entertainment

Two-day Christmas fair set for Pembrokeshire

Published

6 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s annual Christmas Fair will run for two days this year, on Thursday, December 14, and Friday, December 15.

Held at the Parkhouse Building on the Haverfordwest Showground, the venue will transform into a festive shopping destination, offering an expanded range of stalls, live music, Santa’s Grotto, and an outdoor food court.

Expanded event

Event organisers Judith Roach and Emma Thomas expressed their excitement about the extended format. They said:
“We are thrilled to announce that our Christmas Fair will run for two days instead of just one. We are building on last year’s success with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. The Parkhouse Building will become a one-stop shop for everyone preparing for Christmas.”

The fair will be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm on both days, with free admission for all visitors.

Festive treats and unique gifts

Attendees can expect to browse an extensive selection of unique gifts, handmade decorations, artwork, and homeware. Local food and drink producers will also showcase festive delights, including chocolate brownies, fudge, spirits, and Welsh cheeses.

An outdoor food court will cater for visitors on the go, with a variety of hot and cold options.

Santa’s Grotto

Santa himself will make a special appearance, with children able to visit him for £3 per child. Each child will receive a small gift, with all proceeds going to the Sandy Bear charity. Advance bookings can be made via the Sandy Bear website.

Community effort

Adam Thorne, president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, praised the efforts of the event’s organisers:
“The society would like to thank Judith and Emma for their dedication in organising this two-day event. We’re delighted to offer visitors a chance to do their Christmas shopping while enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society encourages visitors to follow the Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for updates and a complete list of stallholders.

The event promises to be a perfect start to the holiday season, welcoming families and shoppers alike.

News

New hope for rare dormouse after forest find

Published

6 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A RARE hazel dormouse has been discovered in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, bringing fresh hope for the survival of the endangered species in the area.

The golden-brown rodent, known for its distinctive big eyes and long whiskers, has seen a dramatic population decline across Britain—down 70% since 2000. It is now one of seven vulnerable mammals in Wales.

Conservationists made the significant find during a project aimed at linking habitats across the park. Volunteers had set up nesting boxes in the Nevern woodland, roughly five miles west of the dormouse’s known habitat in Pengelli Forest.

A lucky discovery

Park conservationist Mary Chadwick said the team had been trying to connect isolated dormouse populations across the park’s ancient oak woodlands, including Pengelli Forest and areas near the Pentre Ifan Neolithic site.

“We were looking at linking up those important sites and checking whether populations were isolated,” she explained. “A licensed dormouse volunteer took on a new site and set up the boxes. It can take years for dormice to use the boxes, but we got lucky this year.”

The discovery marks the first recorded dormouse population in the Nevern valley, raising hopes for the species’ ability to spread across the landscape and bolster genetic diversity—key to its long-term survival.

Supporting conservation efforts

To ensure a brighter future for dormice, conservationists are calling on farmers and landowners to adopt wildlife-friendly practices, such as cutting hedgerows less frequently.

“We’re asking people to trim hedges on alternate sides each year,” said Ms. Chadwick. “That would be much better for our dormice.”

Building a future

With ongoing conservation efforts and discoveries like this, researchers hope the dormouse can move closer to recovery in Pembrokeshire. The new find has confirmed their belief that dormice could thrive across the Nevern valley, creating vital connections between isolated populations.

*Nesting boxes placed in the forest where dormice were found (Pic: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park)*

Crime

Burglar jailed for stealing cars worth £90,000 from Sinclair Garage

Published

6 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

BRIAN DAVIS, 53, of Bush Street, Pembroke Dock, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting to three counts of non-dwelling burglary at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard that Davis and an accomplice targeted Sinclair Garages in Neyland during the early hours of April 2 last year, stealing four vehicles: a Mercedes CLA, an Audi A1, an Audi Q3, and a Volkswagen Tiguan worth around £90,000 in total.

Sentencing Davis, Judge Paul Thomas KC said the crimes were too severe for a suspended sentence and noted little hope of rehabilitation. “These offences display planning and determination,” the judge remarked.

The burglars forced entry into the garage, using a crowbar to access a key storage board. Nine sets of keys were stolen, allowing them to take multiple vehicles. Prosecutor Matthew Murphy told the court: “The men left with two cars initially, returned 14 minutes later to steal a third, and returned again for a fourth.”

The stolen cars were valued at approximately £90,000. Three vehicles – the Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi A1, and Audi Q3 – were recovered the following day. However, the Mercedes CLA, worth £12,382, was only located in January this year. Damages included £5,541 to replace locks on several vehicles.

Police traced Davis through partial fingerprints found on a glove left in one of the stolen cars. He was arrested after surrendering at Haverfordwest Police Station on August 14.

Struggles with addiction

The court heard Davis had left Pembrokeshire in December, breaching post-sentence supervision for an unrelated offence, to stay with family in Glasgow and recover from drug addiction. Stuart John, defending, explained: “The defendant struggled with heroin addiction from a young age. Family bereavements caused a relapse.”

Mr John noted that Davis had been clean when he returned to Pembrokeshire and voluntarily handed himself in. While in custody, Davis completed courses and attended counselling, demonstrating awareness of the consequences of further drug use.

Recovered vehicles