News

Farmer banned from his own home

Published

11 years ago

December 1, 2014

A RESTRAINING order has been issued to prevent a farmer returning to his property after he was evicted. Charles Chestnut, age 52 and from Whitland pleaded guilty to illegally entering a residential property with a view to living in it at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court. Chestnut was asked to state his full name and said: “My name is Charles, just Charles.”

He failed to provide any further information to the court. Chestnut lived at Pant yr Odyn Farm up until June this year. He had a mortgage with Yorkshire Building Society but had accumulated over £114,000 in areas so his property was repossessed. Prosecution Solicitor Vaughan Pritchard Jones said: “He was evicted by bailiffs in July but he has on a number of occasions gone back to the property.

The police have been called on previous instances to remove him.” The locks had been changed to keep him out of the property but Chestnut still claimed the property belongs to him despite the County Court Order handing ownership of the farm to Yorkshire Building Society. Police were called to the farm on Thursday and when they arrived they caught Chestnut leaving the property through the back door, he was then arrested.

Representing himself in court, Chestnut said: “I am still in possession of Pant yr Odyn. There has been no High Court Order. I can not be a trespasser if I am still in lawful possession.” Chestnut was made aware that because he had not appealed to the High Court, which he confirmed, that they would not have any recollection of the case so would therefore not make any decision on the farm.

Although Chestnut pleaded guilty he still continued to plead his innocence and believed he had done nothing wrong. During proceedings Chestnut spoke continuously and at one point Mr Jones requested that he should be held in contempt of court if he did not stop speaking. Magistrates explained that the property is now owned by Yorkshire Building Society and that Chestnut had no right to be there. He was given a 12 month conditional discharge and and ordered to pay £85 in court costs. A restraining order was out in place to prevent Chestnut from entering the property. Following the reading of the verdict, Chestnut refused to accept the sentence: “I cannot consent to this order.”

Community

Milford Haven paddling pool open daily at 10:00am — safety reminder issued

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Town council urges parents to supervise children at all times

MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL has reminded visitors to the children’s paddling pool on The Rath that the facility opens daily at 10:00am, and that children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

In a bilingual safety poster shared online, the council set out simple but essential rules to help ensure the pool remains a safe and fun space throughout the summer holidays. While the pool is popular with families, the council warns that it is not officially supervised, and users do so at their own risk.

The key rules include:

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
No running or diving in or around the pool.
No food, drink, or glass bottles in the water area.
No dogs are allowed within the paddling pool zone.
Littering is strictly prohibited.

A council spokesperson said: “Hi everyone, a polite request: we ask that all children be supervised by a responsible adult while using the pool. Thank you.”

There is no formal age limit for the pool, but younger children will be given priority, especially during busy times.

Local families have praised the pool since it reopened, with one visitor, Linda Phillips, commenting: “We’ve just spent two hours there. Great effort everyone! The youngsters are really enjoying it.”

Milford Haven Town Council thanked her for the feedback, calling it “lovely to hear.”

Opening times or access arrangements may change due to weather or maintenance — updates will be posted on the council’s official Facebook page.

Caption:

Splash safely: Milford Haven Town Council’s new bilingual poster reminds families to supervise children and follow the rules while enjoying the paddling pool on The Rath this summer (Pic: Herald).

News

Stricken boat rescued off Ramsey Island after gearbox failure

Published

7 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Off-duty RNLI crew member steps in to assist with tow to safety

ST DAVIDS RNLI all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:20pm on Wednesday (July 9) to assist a 28-foot motorboat that had suffered drive shaft failure near Ramsey Island.

The vessel, which had departed from Porthclais harbour with two people on board, was left without propulsion due to gearbox issues and was drifting dangerously close to cliffs.

The call for assistance was received at 6:09pm, and the lifeboat was launched just over 10 minutes later. Calm sea conditions allowed the volunteer crew to reach the scene swiftly. A local recreational boat from Voyages of Discovery had been standing by the stricken vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

Given the boat’s proximity to the cliffs and inability to manoeuvre, the coxswain made the decision to tow it back to Porthclais. However, the harbour is inaccessible to the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat.

Fortunately, off-duty crew member Robin was nearby on his own vessel and was able to take over the tow and bring the motorboat safely into the harbour.

The lifeboat and crew returned to station by 7:40pm.

Crime

Motorist sentenced over crash that left biker with life-changing injuries

Published

7 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who caused life-changing injuries to a motorcyclist in a serious crash at Merlin’s Bridge has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.

JAMES IAN PUTTOCK appeared before the court on Wednesday (July 2), where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, contrary to section 2C of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The collision occurred on December 20, 2022, at Merlin’s Bridge, near Haverfordwest, and involved a red Suzuki Splash driven by Puttock and a motorcyclist.

The rider suffered what police described at the time as “life-changing injuries” and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The road was closed for several hours while crash investigators examined the scene.

Puttock had originally been due to stand trial, as previously reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald in January 2024. However, he entered a guilty plea ahead of trial.

At sentencing, the court imposed the following:

20 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days
12-month driving disqualification

The Herald understands the crash had a profound impact on the injured rider and their family, who are still dealing with the long-term consequences of the incident.