Crime
Teen driver banned after drink-drive incident in Milford Haven

A 19-YEAR-OLD motorist has been banned from driving after admitting to being over the legal drink-drive limit while behind the wheel in Milford Haven town centre.
Police were called to Hamilton Terrace in the early hours of April 5, following a 999 call from a concerned member of the public. On arrival, officers found Chanel Balmont in the driver’s seat of a Fiat 500.
“The car had pulled over, and one passenger inside the vehicle appeared to have an injury,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.
“When the defendant was asked if she’d been drinking, she said she wasn’t going to lie and had no intention of denying anything.”
A roadside breath test revealed Balmont, of Waterloo Road, Hakin, had 52 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.
She pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was represented in court by solicitor Fenn Richards.
“She had gone out with her friends, and their intention was to get a taxi home,” said Ms Richards. “They called one, but due to her partner’s level of intoxication, they were refused. To make it easier to get home, the defendant decided to drive. She simply wanted her partner to get home safely. She knows it was a mistake.”
Magistrates disqualified Balmont from driving for 12 months. She was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £48 court surcharge.
Crime
Robbery at Milford Haven store: Man arrested after stealing vodka

POLICE in Milford Haven have arrested a man following a robbery at the Pill Corner Store on Saturday afternoon (June 21).
Dyfed-Powys Police officers were called to the scene at approximately 3:20pm, responding swiftly to reports of a robbery involving violence.
A male suspect was reported to have used force to steal a bottle of vodka from the premises, prompting immediate police action.
Following inquiries, police arrested a 29-year-old Milford Haven man on suspicion of robbery. He remains in custody as investigations continue.
This incident comes just over a month after a knife-point robbery at the same location. On May 17, around 10am, a masked man entered the Pill Corner Store brandishing a Stanley knife and demanded approximately £50 from the till. The perpetrator fled towards Beech Hill and remains unidentified despite appeals for witnesses.
Officers are appealing for anyone who witnessed either incident or who has any further information to come forward to assist with their inquiries.
Members of the public can contact Dyfed-Powys Police online through their website at https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/contact/af/contact-us-beta/contact-us/, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.
Police have emphasised that all information provided by the public will be treated in strict confidence.
Crime
Police block Brechfa rave as hundreds descend on remote woodland

Officers issue dispersal order after overnight ‘well-organised’ gathering in Carmarthenshire countryside
DYFED-POWYS POLICE have intervened to shut down a large illegal rave after hundreds of people descended on a remote part of the Brechfa Forest area overnight.
The gathering, described as “well underway” when officers arrived late on Saturday night (June 21), involved a significant number of people and vehicles, prompting a swift tactical response from police under Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The legislation allows police to prevent more people joining an unauthorised music event and to seize sound equipment where necessary.
A spokesperson said officers made the decision not to immediately disperse the crowd due to the scale and potential safety risks, instead focusing efforts on blocking further access to the site and containing the disruption.
A number of vehicles and attendees remained at the location into Saturday afternoon, but police say the crowd is now dispersing. Officers remain on scene and will continue their presence “until the area returns to normal.”
T/Superintendent Shaun Bowen said the illegal rave had caused “considerable anxiety and distress” to the local community.
He told The Herald: “This type of event causes disruption to those wanting to use the area appropriately, harms the environment and disturbs wildlife, which is why we act swiftly to shut them down.
“There is little doubt that these types of events are very well planned, organised, and that local knowledge is important in drawing down the main group to a particular field or area of land.”
Officers from neighbourhood policing and prevention teams are liaising with residents and partner agencies affected by the gathering, which is believed to have begun under cover of darkness on Friday night and continued into the morning.
One local resident told The Herald: “We could hear the bass thumping in the early hours. It’s not just the noise – it’s the disruption, the mess, and the worry about livestock and damage to the woodland.”
Police have urged anyone considering travelling to the area to think again, warning that they will be turned away on arrival.
T/Supt Bowen added: “We understand the strength of feelings in respect of this – both from those living in the area and from those wanting to attend who are seemingly unaware of the disruption these events cause.
“We ask you not travel to the area with the intention of joining a rave, as officers are there and you will be turned away.”
The Herald understands that investigations into potential criminal offences are ongoing. Officers are examining drone footage, dashcams, and local CCTV to identify organisers and possible offences under public order and environmental laws.
Police have not confirmed whether any arrests have yet been made.
Unwelcome noise: Police say raves like this one in Brechfa cause distress to communities and damage to the environment (Pic: Rave in Brechfa in 2018).
Crime
Milford Haven woman and inmate to appear in court following drugs raid

Police seized cocaine, cannabis and £2,470 in cash at Howarth Close
A WOMAN from Milford Haven and a man currently serving time at Swansea Prison are due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (June 23) charged in connection with a drugs raid at a suspected crack den in Howarth Close.
Joanna John, aged 46, of Howarth Close, faces three charges: being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis between August 29 and October 9, 2024, and possession of 0.259 grams of crack cocaine found at her property during a raid on October 8 last year.
Her co-defendant, Kaleb Thomas, aged 20, currently in Swansea Prison, is charged with possession of 167.26 grams of cannabis with intent to supply, possession of £2,470 in suspected criminal property, and possession of 1.62 grams of crack cocaine. He also faces a further charge of being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
The case relates to a targeted operation by Dyfed-Powys Police, during which officers raided John’s address and recovered quantities of class A and B drugs, along with a substantial amount of cash.
Both defendants are scheduled to enter pleas during Monday’s hearing. Due to the nature of the charges, the case may be committed to Crown Court for trial or sentencing.
The Herald will provide further updates following the hearing.
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