A MILFORD HAVEN man who strangled his partner during a violent domestic assault before attacking a police officer has been jailed for two years.

Timothy John, aged 38, of Howarth Close, Milford Haven, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting a series of offences arising from an incident in October.

The court heard that John had been arguing with his partner about his drug use when the situation escalated into violence. Prosecutor Craig Jones said the defendant grabbed the woman by the throat and held her in a chokehold for around ten seconds, leaving her struggling to breathe and fearing she would lose consciousness.

During the attack, John also punched and kicked the victim before smashing a glass bong over her head. At the time, the woman was still in her underwear and managed to flee the property and run into the street to seek help.

John also damaged the victim’s mobile phone by biting the screen, rendering it unusable.

Police attended the address the following day to take a statement from the victim and discovered John hiding in a bedroom. When officers attempted to detain him, he assaulted a female police officer, knocking her glasses to the floor, before escaping from the property.

The defendant handed himself in around 24 hours later.

John pleaded guilty to intentional strangulation, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assaulting an emergency worker, criminal damage, and escaping from lawful custody. The court was told he has five previous convictions for six offences, although none for violence.

Defending, Dan Griffiths said John accepted the relationship was over and had been using cocaine at the time of the incident, which had made him paranoid, volatile and unpredictable.

He told the court that John had previously worked as a fisherman, roofer and welder, but had struggled with alcohol and substance misuse. Mr Griffiths added that a pre-sentence report highlighted a difficult upbringing and noted a lack of insight into his offending, with concerns that he attempted to minimise his behaviour.

The defence urged the court to consider a suspended sentence to allow John to work with probation services.

Sentencing, Judge Catherine Richards said the offence involved serious strangulation and a sustained assault on an intimate partner, leaving the victim frightened in her own home.

John was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and made subject to a ten-year restraining order preventing any contact with his former partner.

Dyfed-Powys Police have been asked to provide a custody image of the defendant.

Lifeboat places stricken boat in tow and escorts it safely into East Llanion

ANGLE RNLI lifeboat crew were called out on Tuesday (Dec 16) to assist a fishing vessel experiencing fuel problems off Llanion, near Pembroke Dock.

The volunteer crew were tasked at 3.53pm after reports that a ten-metre fishing vessel, with one person on board, had suffered a fuel issue while close to shore. With the boat at risk of drifting into another vessel, the lifeboat was requested to provide assistance.

The Angle lifeboat launched promptly and arrived on scene around 20 minutes later. After carrying out an assessment, the crew placed the fishing vessel in an alongside tow.

The vessel was then taken the short distance into East Llanion, where it was berthed safely alongside the wall.

Once the situation was resolved and no further assistance was required, the lifeboat crew were stood down and returned to their station. The lifeboat was cleaned, checked and made ready for service again by 5.15pm.

Appeal launched after satellite tag is found cut from bird and dumped on remote moorland

POLICE and wildlife crime officers are investigating the suspicious disappearance of a satellite-tagged white-tailed eagle in mid Wales after its tracking device was found cut off and deliberately hidden.

Dyfed-Powys Police is working alongside the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) following the disappearance of the juvenile bird in the Newtown area.

Officers say the satellite tag and harness were recovered from remote moorland and show clear signs of having been removed from the bird using a sharp instrument, most likely a knife, before being concealed in an apparent attempt to dispose of the evidence.

Despite searches in the area, the body of the eagle has not yet been located.

Police are now appealing for information from anyone who may have been in the area at the time and witnessed suspicious activity.

Investigators are particularly keen to hear from people who were:

• At or around Gwgia Reservoir, Tregynon, between 11:00am and 1:00pm on Saturday (Sept 13)
• On access land near Bryn y Fawnog between midday and 3:00pm on the same day

All potential lines of enquiry are being pursued, including detailed forensic examination for DNA and fingerprints.

Police are working closely with the tag owners, the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, and Forestry England to analyse tracking data and support the investigation.

The disappearance is being treated as a serious wildlife crime. The persecution of birds of prey remains a national policing priority, with species such as white-tailed eagles, golden eagles and hen harriers fully protected by law.

Satellite tags are widely used for conservation and research purposes, providing vital information about bird movements and survival. Each tag carries contact details so that any recovered device can be returned directly to researchers.

Members of the public who enjoy the countryside are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity involving birds of prey or their habitats.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by calling 101 quoting reference 25000766626. Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.