Crime

Man jailed for historic child sex offences in Milford Haven

Published

1 year ago

March 28, 2025

A MILFORD HAVEN man who raped a young girl and abused two children in the 1980s has been jailed for 16 years.

Gary Hicks, now 64 and living in Luton, was convicted at Swansea Crown Court of a series of serious sexual offences carried out between 1987 and 1989. The abuse took place when he was aged between 27 and 29 and targeted two victims, both under the age of eleven at the time.

Hicks denied all the charges but was found guilty following two separate trials.

In August last year, he was convicted of five offences: two counts of indecency with a child and three of indecent assault. He was acquitted of one count of rape and one of indecent assault, while a second rape charge saw no verdict returned.

That charge was brought back before the court in a retrial in February, during which the jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict.

The Herald understands that Hicks carried out a range of degrading and abusive acts. These included forcing the girl to masturbate him and subjecting her to digital and vaginal rape. He also made the male victim place his penis in Hicks’ mouth and urinate.

The court was told Hicks threatened the girl to prevent her from speaking out. He told her no one would believe her, adding she would lose all her friends if she ever told anyone what had happened.

“These words had their intended effect,” said Judge Huw Rees during sentencing.

The abuse remained undisclosed for more than three decades. It was only in the early hours of October 13, 2022, that the female victim contacted police and disclosed what had happened. The male victim later came forward with his own allegations.

Hicks was interviewed on March 6, 2023, and continued to deny any wrongdoing.

The court heard that he had four previous convictions covering seven offences—only one of which dated from before the abuse. He had no history of sexual offending.

Defence counsel Mark Kelly KC said Hicks had not committed similar offences since and urged the court to consider the impact of imprisonment on his elderly mother, aged 92, and his long-term partner, aged 70.

Judge Rees sentenced Hicks to 16 years in custody, with a further year on licence. He must serve two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and both victims were granted indefinite restraining orders for their protection.

Brave survivors: Both victims gave evidence in court decades after the abuse (Pic: Herald).

Crime

Local carpenter retains driving licence despite previous ban

Published

1 day ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A Herbrandston carpenter has been allowed to keep his driving licence despite a previous driving disqualification for using his mobile phone whilst driving.

Addressing District Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week, Simon Shaw stressed the disqualification was having a major impact on his work commitment as well as his ability to support members of his family.

“If the ban continues, at least two of my five employees will have to be lost” said Shaw, who works as a self-employed carpenter operating from Herbrandston and the Milford Haven Industrial Estate.

“We travel throughout the whole of West Wales and also work at Thorne Island, where we’ve been providing logistical support for renovations for the last four years.”

Shaw, of Triplestone Close, Herbrandston, went on to say that his business has only one other driver who works as a reserve fire fighter.

“As a result, he’s not available to provide the 24 hour cover we provide to various care homes in the county,” he said.

Simon Shaw concluded by stating that his daughter is also dependent on his support having recently given birth to twins while his son-in-law and his partner’s mother are both currently undergoing serious healthcare treatments.

“I’m trying to provide as much logistical support for them as I can, but without my driving licence, this is impossible,” he said.

After listening to his comments, Judge Layton granted Shaw permission to retain his licence.

Crime

Delivery driver caught twice over legal drink-drive limit

Published

1 day ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A DELIVERY driver has been banned from the roads after being caught behind the wheel when he was over twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Twenty-nine year old Sam Rowe was stopped by officers just before 9.30 am on April 20 as he drove his Vauxhall Vivaro along Ferry Lane in Pembroke Dock.

“His speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot,” Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week.

“There was also a strong smell of intoxicants emanating from him.”

When spoken to by the officers, Rowe stated he’d drunk a pint of alcohol approximately an hour before being stopped, however subsequent breathalyser tests showed he had no less than 75 mcg of alcohol in his system. The legal limit is 35.

Rowe, of Hazel Close, Pontypool, pleaded guilty to the offence and was represented in court by solicitor Michael Kelleher who informed the court that the defendant was holidaying in Pembrokeshire at the time of the offence.

“His daughter fell ill and he was attempting to find painkillers for her at a supermarket,” he said. “He’s very remorseful and is now going to lose his job as a delivery driver.”

Rowe, who has no previous convictions, was disqualified from driving for a total of 20 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Crime

Police tip-off leads to driving ban for Milford motorist

Published

1 day ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE motorist has lost his licence after police received information that the 40-year-old male may have been driving under the influence of drugs.

This week Haverfordwest Magistrates court was told that at around 8.30pm on November 22 officers received a call informing them that Michael Miles was suspected of driving his Peugeot Bipper through Milford Haven after consuming drugs.

Miles was subsequently stopped on Marble Hall Road and when spoken to by the officers, he informed them that he was a drug user. A saliva sample tested positive for cocaine while further tests carried out at the police station showed that Miles had 760 mcg of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine in his system, the legal limit being 50.

Miles, of Milford Road, Steynton, chose to be legally unrepresented in court and pleaded guilty to the drug-driving charge.

The probation service said he was very remorseful for the offence and has since had appointments with the Dyfed Drugs and Alcohol Service to help him deal with his drug usage. Miles was served with an interim driving disqualification however as a result of his previous non-payment of fines, his punitive sentencing was adjourned to Thursday, May 7.

“If you pay your outstanding fines before Thursday, you will be fined for this offence,” warned District Judge Mark Layton. “But if you don’t pay, you will be given a custodial sentence.”