News

Prisoner jailed for ‘potting’ attack on officer

Published

10 months ago

February 20, 2025

A 34-YEAR-OLD prisoner has been sentenced to an additional two years and nine months after throwing a cup of excrement over a prison officer at HMP Parc in what was described as a revenge attack.

Courtney Matthew launched the brown liquid at officer David Ashby before jumping over railings onto safety netting and shadow boxing in front of other inmates. The attack, which took place in May 2023, followed Matthew’s removal from his job in the prison servery.

During his trial at Cardiff Crown Court, the jury was shown CCTV footage of the moment Matthew hurled the contents at the officer. While he later admitted to police that he had wanted to “embarrass” the officer by making others think he was a victim of “potting,” Matthew insisted the liquid was “melted Maltesers with water” rather than human waste.

***Courtney Matthew jumped onto netting after throwing the poo at the prison officer***

‘I’d do it again in a heartbeat’

Matthew, who did not appear in court, told police he and Mr Ashby “didn’t get along” and said he had no regrets about his actions.

“I’m not remorseful, and I’d do the same thing again in a heartbeat,” he told officers.

The court heard that Matthew repeatedly ignored prison rules, often sitting on the stairwells despite being told to move. Mr Ashby described the tense relationship between them, stating:

“He would be very slow to respond when asked to move, and when my back was turned, he’d go back and sit there.”

‘The smell was terrible’

Giving evidence, Mr Ashby said he was sure the substance thrown at him was human waste, describing it as having a “terrible smell”. He revealed that other prisoners had warned him that he was likely to be attacked.

Despite Matthew’s claims about the contents of the cup, investigating officer PC Nigel Davies told the court there was no evidence that Matthew had purchased Maltesers from the prison shop before the incident.

Additionally, the shirt Mr Ashby was wearing during the attack was not forensically examined and had since been lost.

Judge: ‘Meticulously pre-planned’

Sentencing Matthew, Judge Vanessa Francis said the attack was meticulously pre-planned and designed to maximise humiliation and distress.

He was convicted of administering a noxious substance with intent to aggrieve or annoy, an offence under the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. The additional sentence will run consecutively to his existing term.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

14 minutes ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

3 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.