Pressure is being put on the Government to compensate a Pembrokeshire man who spent five years in prison for sex crimes he did not commit.

Brian Buckle was wrongfully convicted in 2017 of 16 counts of rape and sexual assault.  A Court of Appeal quashed his conviction and at his retrial, a jury found him not guilty on all charges after just one hour’s deliberation.

But despite his exoneration, Brian Buckle has been denied financial compensation by the Ministry of Justice, claiming his case fails to prove ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that he did not commit the offences.

Now Brian’s family, with the support of his barrister Stephen Vullo KC, is calling for a fair compensation scheme to be implemented for his wrongful convictions.   A petition launched by his wife, Elaine, is calling for a parliamentary reform, and the petition has already been signed by over 38,000 people.

“My family sacrificed everything to clear my name,” said Brian Buckle.

“ My father-in-law sold his house to fund my legal fight and the emotional and financial toll has been devastating. My wife’s inheritance is gone, and the money spent on legal fees can never be recovered.

 “I lost a well-paying job I’d held for 16 years, I missed my daughter’s 18th and 21st birthdays and I missed irreplaceable moments with my family.

“Now I’m living with PTSD, and even though I’m a free man, the trauma of those five years will never fully leave me.

“I don’t want millions – I just want recognition of the injustice I suffered and the chance to rebuild my life.”

The total amount spent by Brian Buckle’s family to clear his name stands at £500,000  This is equal to the total amount of compensation that Brian was able to apply for. A letter from the Ministry of Justice arrived almost a year after he first submitted his application and the assessor, who had never spoken to Brian or his legal team, concluded he wasn’t eligible for a pay-out because there was insufficient proof that he had hadn’t carried out the offences.

“What do I need to do to prove that I’m an innocent person?” says Brian. “I’ve lost five years of my life, my job, my pension. People are absolutely gobsmacked when you tell them I’ve been refused compensation.”

In a previous BBC statement, The Ministry of Justice said  it acknowledges the ‘grave impact of miscarriages of justice’ and is ‘committed to supporting individuals in rebuilding their lives’.

For hundreds of years it has been accepted that someone is presumed innocent until a court of law finds them guilty, however, following a small but significant law change in 2014, if a victim of a miscarriage of justice in England and Wales wants to receive compensation, they must not only be cleared, but also demonstrate they are innocent.  But according to Stephen Vullo KC, this reverses the burden of proof and says this is ‘an almost impossibly high hurdle over which very few people can jump’.

Mr Vullo believes the legislation change was designed so that money would not be paid out. “It’s not by accident, it’s by design,” he says.

Government figures show that around 93% of  compensation applications have been rejected by the Ministry of Justice since 2016.

Brian, who lives in Fishguard, is being politically supported by his MP Ben Lake, who said he was ‘appalled’ after hearing about his case.

“Sadly, miscarriages of justice happen,” he said.  “They always have and they always will.

 “But when we have a situation where an individual has been incarcerated for whatever reason for incorrect evidence or incorrect judgements, we should ensure that they are compensated for that.”

Mr Lake said that any law change should be made retrospectively, enabling the Buckle family to benefit.

Meanwhile Brian Buckle continues his battle to pick up the pieces following his wrongful term in prison.

“I will take what happened to me to the grave,” he said. “Money is not going to change how I am mentally, but it’s the principle of the justice system admitting that they got it wrong.”

Brian Buckle’s petition can be signed on this link

A MILFORD HAVEN man is due to appear in court on Tuesday (Apr 15) charged under a rarely used and centuries-old law after allegedly being found on the premises of Haverfordwest Job Centre “for an unlawful purpose”.

Christian Teeley, aged 21, of Gelliswick Road, Hakin, faces a charge of being found in or upon enclosed premises, contrary to Section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824.

The incident took place on September 18, 2024, when Teeley was allegedly discovered inside the Job Centre building in Haverfordwest for the purpose of causing criminal damage.

The charge — a so-called “vagrancy offence” — carries a maximum penalty of three months in prison and/or a Level 3 fine.

The Vagrancy Act, which was introduced in 1824 to deal with soldiers returning from the Napoleonic Wars, has faced widespread criticism in recent years for criminalising homelessness and poverty. Despite being repealed in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it remains in force in England and Wales.

Homelessness charity Crisis says more than 1,000 days have passed since the UK Government first pledged to scrap the law — but it still remains on the books. The charity has warned that people are still being prosecuted for simply being in a public place, with penalties of up to £1,000.

The Herald understands that the case could attract national attention from campaigners who are calling for the Act’s final repeal.

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has avoided an immediate prison sentence after police discovered indecent images of children on his mobile phone.

Andrew Davies, aged 36, was arrested after officers attended his home on Brewery Street on November 16, 2022. The court heard he handed over his phone and PIN without hesitation. An initial check revealed child sexual abuse material, leading to his arrest.

A full forensic analysis uncovered a total of 67 indecent images of children, including nine in Category A – the most serious level – along with 14 Category B and 44 Category C images. Some of the images dated back to 2019.

Sian Cutter, prosecuting at Swansea Crown Court, said a further 32 “borderline” images were also found. The material featured children as young as three being restrained and abused.

Davies admitted three counts of making indecent images of children when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court. He had no previous convictions.

Appearing for the defendant, Ryan Bowen said: “Mr Davies is under no illusion about the gravity of these offences, which clearly cross the custody threshold. He has taken full responsibility and has not sought to deflect blame.”

The court was told there had been a significant delay in bringing the case to court, and that Davies had not re-offended since the original arrest.

Sentencing, Judge Catherine Richards said: “Viewing child sexual abuse material causes real harm to real children. It adds to their pain and suffering. A particularly serious feature of this case is the very young age of some of the victims.”

She acknowledged the delay in proceedings and accepted there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. Davies, she said, had already faced significant personal consequences as a result of his actions.

Davies was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. He must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and attend 25 rehabilitation activity days.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for 10 years. A further hearing is set to take place on April 11 to consider the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order.