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Crime

Haverfordwest man jailed for sadistic knife ordeal

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Victim told attacker had been paid to rape and kill her

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been jailed after subjecting his partner to a terrifying knife attack during which he claimed he had been paid to rape and kill her.

Mark Webber, 45, repeatedly threatened his victim with a kitchen knife, cutting her from her ear to her throat, and forcing her to believe she was about to die. Swansea Crown Court heard he told her it was her choice whether she suffered “an easy death or a hard death”.

Crown court in Swansea

Violence escalates

The court was told Webber had been in a relationship with the woman for only a month when the attack happened at her flat in Haverfordwest on May 31.

When she refused to fetch alcohol from the shop, Webber struck her in the face and later kicked her in the forehead while wearing shoes. He accused her of “being dramatic” before arming himself with a large kitchen knife, calling her a “lying rat” and a “grass”, and pulling her head back by her hair.

He then cut her face and throat with the blade before taunting her and telling her he had been paid £5,000 to kill her, with another £5,000 promised on completion – and even more if he raped her.

‘Brutal and sadistic’

Prosecutor Emily Bennett said Webber threatened to kill the woman if she called 999. Over the course of the night he headbutted, punched, strangled and terrorised her, at times pressing the knife to her throat.

Eventually, after he fell asleep, the woman managed to contact a friend from the bathroom, who raised the alarm.

Judge Paul Thomas KC told Webber: “You brutally and sadistically attacked a woman who was unfortunate enough to be involved in a brief relationship with you. She understandably thought she was going to die at your hands.”

Sentence

Webber, now of Market Street, Whitland, but originally from Haverfordwest, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, strangulation, and threatening a person with a knife in a private place.

The court heard he has 17 previous convictions for 26 offences, including domestic violence against former partners in 2008 and 2011.

Stuart John, defending, said Webber now recognised the “devastating” impact of his actions and hoped to tackle his issues with drugs and alcohol in custody.

Webber was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. He must serve half behind bars before being released on licence, and was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order banning contact with his victim.

 

Crime

Two arrested after high-value shoplifting incident in Kilgetty

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TWO men have been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting following a rapid police response to a reported high-value theft at a supermarket in Kilgetty.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to the Co-op store at around 3.35pm on Wednesday (Jan 28), after a report that a large quantity of alcohol and other items had been stolen.

Using information provided by the caller, Roads Policing Unit officers worked closely with control room staff to identify a vehicle believed to be involved. Several patrol cars were deployed, and the vehicle was located a short time later travelling east.

Police said the safety of all those involved was treated as a priority, with specialist Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) advice obtained while officers maintained constant observation of the vehicle.

The car was brought to a safe stop on a back road approaching Hendy, involving three Roads Policing Unit vehicles. No injuries or damage were reported.

Following roadside checks, two men — aged 67 and 46 — were arrested on suspicion of theft from a shop.

Both remain in police custody while enquiries continue.

Police said the swift response helped prevent further offending and demonstrated the effectiveness of specialist roads policing officers acting on real-time intelligence.

 

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Business

Eight-year prison sentence after vehicle stop uncovers drugs worth over £150,000

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A ROUTINE vehicle stop by roads policing officers has led to an eight-year prison sentence after more than £150,000 worth of illegal drugs were discovered in a car in Pembrokeshire.

On Friday, January 2, officers from the Roads Policing Unit stopped a grey Seat Ateca on Hoyland Road, Pembroke. The vehicle was being driven by 43-year-old Dean Evans.

During the stop, Evans told officers they would find “stuff” in the car. He and the vehicle were subsequently searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A search of the boot uncovered a cardboard box containing a one-kilogram block of cocaine and ten half-kilogram packages of herbal cannabis. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be well in excess of £150,000.

Evans was arrested at the scene on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs. He was later charged with possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs.

The 43-year-old pleaded guilty at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, January 3.

On Thursday, January 28, Evans was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis.

DC Jones, from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: “Tackling the supply of illegal drugs is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police, and the misery that illegal drugs bring to local communities will not be tolerated.

“We welcome the sentence passed to Dean Evans, given the large quantity of harmful drugs he was caught trafficking into Pembrokeshire.

“This sentence should serve as a stark warning to anyone tempted to become involved in the illegal drugs trade in Dyfed and Powys.”

 

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Crime

Former soldier jailed for stalking police officer over past arrest

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Defendant tracked down officer’s home address and sent threatening messages

A FORMER serviceman has been sent to prison after tracking down and harassing a police officer who had arrested him two years earlier.

Gareth Nicholas, aged 41, from Waunarlwydd in Swansea, targeted the officer by discovering his home address and sending a threatening message via Facebook, Swansea Crown Court heard.

The officer had been part of a police team that executed a Scottish arrest warrant at Nicholas’s home in May 2023. Two years later, in August 2025, the officer received an unexpected friend request on social media, followed shortly afterwards by a message that immediately caused concern.

The message began with the words “I found you” and accused the officer of unlawfully entering Nicholas’s property, assaulting him while he was in his underwear, and “abducting” him. Nicholas also claimed he had identified a pattern of corrupt behaviour within the police and issued a veiled threat, stating: “I will catch you down the Liberty son. Look forward to it,” a reference to Swansea City’s former stadium.

The situation escalated further days later when a handwritten letter was delivered to the officer’s former address. The new occupant contacted the officer to alert him to the letter, which repeated allegations of corruption and suggested the matter could be dropped if the officer assisted in exposing alleged police misconduct.

Nicholas was arrested on September 3 and admitted sending the communications, but denied at the time that his actions amounted to stalking.

In evidence, the officer told the court that while he had faced verbal abuse during his policing career, this incident felt different and deeply personal. He said his family installed CCTV cameras, security lighting and fencing, and put safety plans in place for their children. He added that he feared Nicholas had not let go of his perceived injustice and remained concerned the behaviour could continue.

The court heard Nicholas has a substantial criminal record in Scotland between 2019 and 2024, including convictions for stalking, malicious communications, threatening behaviour, domestic abuse offences and possession of ammunition without a licence.

Sentencing Nicholas, Judge Huw Rees acknowledged the trauma the defendant had experienced during military service, but warned him not to repeat the behaviour.

Nicholas, who appeared unrepresented, pleaded guilty to stalking and was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison, reduced by 20 per cent for his early guilty plea. Having already served time on remand, his release is expected shortly. He was also made subject to a five-year restraining order banning any contact with the officer.

 

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