Crime

Jury considers verdict of man charged with causing death of Pembrokeshire motorcyclist

Published

8 months ago

June 2, 2025

A Crown Court jury has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of the 43-year-old Dock man accused of causing the death of motorcyclist Ashley Rogers through careless driving.

Jason Harvey, 43, has persistently denied the charge despite the Crown’s allegation that his careless driving resulted in the death of Ashley Rogers on May 13, 2023 at the notorious Nash Fingerpost junction on the A477.

“This case is all about speed, and the view that Jason Harvey had as he approached the junction,” Harvey’s defence barrister, Charles Langley, KC, told the jury as he closed the defence case at Swansea Crown Court on Monday afternoon.

“He was travelling at a speed of between 14 and 15 miles an hour as he approached the junction and when he looked, the bike wasn’t there.”

Earlier in the trial, the jury was told that shortly before the collision which occurred at approximately 8 am , Ashley Rogers had been seen riding his Ducati motorbike past the WP Lewis garage at a speed estimated to be in excess of 90 mph. This estimation was endorsed by a driving exper called to give evidence after examining both vehicles involved in the collision.

The expert described the Ducati as a high-performance sport bike, capable of reaching a top speed of approximately 150 mph.

Harvey, of Law Street, Pembroke Dock, had been towing a trailer attached to his van as he approached the junction from the A4075. As he crossed onto the A477, his vehicle was struck by Mr Rogers’ motorcycle who was travelling towards Pembroke Dock.

“I felt the impact and thought I’d been hit by a lorry,” Jason Harvey said in a police interview. “I saw debris all over the carriageway, I didn’t know what had happened.”

The prosecution, however, claims that Harvey failed to come to a complete stop and did not allow enough time to properly assess the road before pulling out into the carriageway.

However Charles Langley reminded the jury that Harvey was under no obligation to stop if he believed the road was clear, as the junction was served by a Give Way sign rather than a Stop sign. Harvey stated during his interview that he had checked both directions before moving into the junction. Seconds later, he felt what he described as ‘a sudden massive impact’.

As a result of the impact, Ashley Rogers died at the scene.

Crime

Hakin man’s appeal delayed again as Crown Court seeks guidance on insurance law

Published

22 minutes ago

February 3, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Judge gives CPS more time to review latest road traffic law guidance before case returns in March

A HAKIN man’s appeal against a conviction for driving without insurance has been delayed after a judge granted prosecutors additional time to review updated legal guidance.

Seventy-six-year-old Niall Taylor, of Haven Drive, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday (Jan 13) for a mention hearing in his case.

Taylor has accepted the finding that he drove otherwise than in accordance with a licence, but is challenging the separate conviction for using a vehicle without insurance.

The case relates to an incident on January 18, 2023, when he drove a Vauxhall Zafira along Hammond Avenue, Haverfordwest.

The matter has already followed an unusual procedural history. Taylor initially pleaded not guilty in the magistrates’ court but later changed his plea during the original trial. Questions were subsequently raised over whether that plea had been “equivocal”, leading the case to be reopened under Section 142 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 and reheard in full.

Following a trial of the facts, magistrates found him guilty and imposed sentence in December. Taylor has since lodged an appeal focused solely on the insurance offence.

During Tuesday’s hearing, His Honour Judge Walters granted the Crown Prosecution Service 28 days to review Wilkinson’s Road Traffic Offences (32nd Edition), the leading legal reference text used by courts in motoring cases.

Addressing the court, the judge said the matter may still require further consideration, adding: “The court still might want to reconsider the sentence even if the insurance company is right. It does look as if different insurance companies do things in different ways.”

He added: “It is not in fact void, but it is voidable.”

Taylor maintains that a valid insurance policy was in force at the time of driving and argues that, in law, third-party cover cannot simply be cancelled because of an administrative licensing issue.

The appeal is due to return to Swansea Crown Court on March 27, when further legal argument is expected.

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman admits breaching community order

Published

3 hours ago

February 3, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Magistrates revoke sentence after missed appointments

A PEMBROKE DOCK woman has admitted breaching the terms of a community order.

Shannon Charge, aged 30, of Pater Court, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Feb 2).

She admitted failing to attend a scheduled probation appointment and a drug dependency appointment.

Magistrates revoked the existing community order and ordered her to pay £60 in court costs.

The court heard the order related to earlier offences, for which she had been made subject to rehabilitation and drug treatment requirements. A further review hearing is listed for March 2.