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Crime

Jailed after refusing to provide police with a blood test for analysis

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AM AN described by his solicitor as ‘very vulnerable’ has been sentenced to 26 weeks in custody after breaching two suspended prison sentences in just two months.

Jamie Wilksinson was brought before magistrates on Tuesday morning after refusing to provide police with a blood test for analysis.  He was arrested on his birthday – Monday, February 2 – after officers suspected he’d crashed a white BMW at Portfield Gate, Haverfordwest.

“Police received reports of a single vehicle collision, where a white BMW had collided with a stone wall at the entrance to a caravan park,” said Crown Prosecutor, Nia James.

Two males were seen running away from the vehicle, one of whom was later identified by officers as Jamie Wilkinson.

“There was blood in the motor vehicle and blood on the defendant when he was arrested,” said Nia James. “But when police asked him to provide a specimen, suspecting that he was the driver, he refused.”

The Crown said that on January 21, Wilkinson was dealt a suspended prison sentence after admitting an identical offence of refusing to provide a blood specimen following a suspected road accident.  He was also in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed in December 2024.

Wilkinson was represented in court by solicitor Tom Lloyd.

“It’s very disappointing to see him here today as he has high level autism and ADHD, and is a very vulnerable young man,” he said.  

“All these issues are contributing to his offending behaviour, and I request the shortest sentence possible. Custody is going to be very difficult for him and I have huge concerns about what will happen to him when he’s in prison, amongst far greater offenders than himself.  The implications on him are going to be huge.”

Jamie Wilkinson, of North Court, Haverfordwest, was sentenced to 26 weeks in custody.  He was disqualified from driving for 60 months and was ordered to pay a £154 court surcharge and £85 costs.

Crime

A watershed moment for the criminal justice system?

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THE FINDINGS of the Ministry of Justice’s Independent Sentencing Review Report could mark a turning point in the future of Britain’s criminal justice system, according to Nacro CEO Campbell Robb.

The report, published on Tuesday (Feb 18), argues that successive governments’ “tough on crime” stance has contributed to the ongoing prison overcrowding crisis, which has brought the system “to the brink of collapse.”

Prison overcrowding at crisis point

The UK’s prison population now exceeds 85,000, a figure the report describes as symptomatic of a justice system prioritising punishment over evidence-based intervention. According to Nacro, research shows that community-based sentencing and investment in support services are more effective at reducing reoffending, yet government policies have continued to rely on longer custodial sentences as a default response.

Robb said: “This is a pivotal moment for justice reform. If we’re truly committed to a fair and effective system, we must shift away from the illusion of quick fixes and tough sentences and focus on building a system that rehabilitates and reintegrates people.”

Decades of flawed policies

Chair of the Independent Sentencing Review, David Gauke, criticised the “haphazard policy making and underinvestment” that has plagued the justice system for decades.

“For too long politicians have operated in a vacuum, increasing sentencing for individual crimes without considering the knock-on impact on the wider system. It is time to accept this does not deliver justice for victims; it fails them,” he said.

Academics contributing to the report have identified the 1991 Criminal Justice Act as a key turning point in the shift towards “penal populism,” in which political pressure has led to increasingly severe sentencing policies. Measures such as mandatory minimum sentences, extended terms for specific offences, and recall policies have inflated the prison population, with little evidence that they contribute to crime reduction.

Is prison the right answer?

According to the review, those given custodial sentences have some of the highest reoffending rates, with overall reoffending for ex-prisoners standing at 37.2%. For offenders serving short sentences of under 12 months, this rises to 56.9%. By contrast, community sentences and rehabilitation orders have been shown to be more effective at reducing reoffending.

Gauke stressed the need for an “honest conversation” about sentencing, stating: “Punishment will always be a central aim of the criminal justice system, but it is not the only aim; and prison is not the only form of punishment.”

Alongside the trend of longer sentences, the growing use of recall has significantly increased the prison population. In 1993, fewer than 100 people were in prison due to recall; by the end of 2024, this number had risen to nearly 13,000.

The review notes that changes such as mandatory post-release supervision for short sentences, combined with a more risk-averse probation service, have fuelled this surge.

The Independent Sentencing Review will release its full proposals for reform in the spring, calling for a “system reset” that aligns with all five statutory aims of sentencing: punishment, crime reduction, reform and rehabilitation, public protection, and reparation.

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Crime

Arrest warrant issued for woman accused of meat theft

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A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a Pembrokeshire woman accused of stealing meat from a local service station.

Lisa Stewart, 44, of Truscott House, London Road, Pembroke Dock, is alleged to have stolen meat worth £63.12 from Bush Hill Service Station, Pembroke, on January 1.

She was due to appear before Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday (Feb 18), but after failing to attend, magistrates issued a warrant for her arrest.

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Crime

Accountant fined for drink-driving in Gelliswick, Milford Haven

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A PEMBROKESHIRE accountant has been handed a four-figure fine after being caught drink-driving through Gelliswick in the early hours.

Police were alerted by concerned members of the public about the manner in which a Toyota was being driven from Milford Haven along Hubberston Road on February 2.

Officers stopped the vehicle and found it was being driven by Logean Moyo. A roadside breath test proved positive, and further readings at the police custody suite showed he had 90 mcg of alcohol in his breath. The legal limit is 35.

Moyo, of Maes Dyfed, St Davids, pleaded guilty to the charge. He was ordered to pay a total of £1,162, comprising a £769 fine, a £308 surcharge, and £85 costs.

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