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Pembroke Dock: Cannabis pensioner gets suspended sentence

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Swansea Crown Court

Swansea Crown Court

A PENSIONER who has fought a 30 year campaign to be allowed to use cannabis as a medicine has received a suspended prison sentence on Tuesday (Dec 9). The retired oil refinery supervisor, has previously served two prison sentences while taking on the government in a bid for those suffering chronic pain to be allowed to take cannabis for pain relief.

Eric Mann, aged 71, who believes cannabis can be used to treat even cancer, admitted producing the drug and to supplying it sick people.

Mann, of Harbour Way, Pembroke Dock, had earlier told the court he would fight the charges on the grounds that it was his human right to be free of pain.

But on the day his trial was due to begin at Swansea crown court he changed his pleas to guilty to charges of producing cannabis and to supplying cannabis oil.

Judge Paul Thomas told Mann that, like everyone else, the law of the land had to be obeyed and no-one could pick and choose which ones to abide by.

Gareth Mann: Avoided jail this time (Pic - BBC)

Gareth Mann: Avoided jail this time (Pic: BBC)

Ian Ibrahim, representing Mann, said he had been a coal miner and a construction site supervisor until he was forced to retire because of severe arthritis.

He self medicated himself and began to take cannabis, which, he said, relieved the pain.

Mr Ibrahim said police found 21 small cannabis plants and five jars of cannabis oil at the defendant’s home last year and in another raid this summer found he been producing cannabis again.

“The defendant regards himself as a care giver and looks upon cannabis as a medicine allowing him to break the law,” added Mr Ibrahim.

Mann had claimed to have developed a way of removing the psycho-active element of cannabis so users would get the benefit but not get “high.”

The court heard Mann had numerous previous convictions relating to cannabis.

He told the court personally, “I worked all my life and when I got ill I tried conventional drugs but they didn’t work. One drug I was using was withdrawn because people were killing themselves after becoming suicidal on it.

“When you’re in pain all the time and you can’t even put your socks on or make a cup of tea or anything life isn’t worth living but I found I could function through the use of cannabis as a medicine.”

Mann was jailed for 12 months, suspended for 12 months, and placed under supervision.

Judge Thomas told him, “Week in, week out in these courts see the effects cannabis has on people, particularly on their mental state. Whatever your views, cannabis does effect people’s minds, that is my experience and there is very good medical opinion as to why people should not take cannabis.

“I think you genuinely consider you are helping yourself and can do a service to others and that cannabis can cure or at least have a beneficial effect on cancer sufferers. But the vast proportion of medical opinion is that you are misguided in that and you are deluding yourself and others.”

The judge added he hoped Mann would now look at alternative methods of pain relief.

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Business

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

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PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

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Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

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TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

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News

Welsh Water has increased sewage discharges into waterways ‘by 40%’

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NEW figures released by the Environment Agency have shown that Dwr Cymru discharged sewage into waterways for a staggering 23,354 hours last year, a 40% increase on 2022. 

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are now calling for tougher action against sewage dumping in Welsh waterways.

The party has also called for a halt on bonuses for water company bosses whose firms have dumped sewage into waterways.

Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle the crisis.

The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “It is a complete scandal that filthy sewage is being pumped into our nation’s rivers and waterways without consequence.

“It’s beggars’ belief that both the UK Conservative Government and the Welsh Labour government are allowing water firms to get away with this environmental vandalism.

“We as a party are calling for tougher action to stop sewage being dumped in local waterways. We have also called for a halt on bonuses for water company fat cats whose firms have pumped filth into our waterways.”

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