Crime

XL Bully spared destruction after owner handed strict court order

Published

1 week ago

November 30, 2025

Bruno the dog must be muzzled, microchipped and neutered under two-month deadline

A MAN from Pencader has been given two months to secure an exemption for his XL Bully dog or face seeing the animal destroyed, following a hearing at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Nov 27).

JAMES DAVIES, aged 35, of Bryn Hebog, Llanllwni, appeared before magistrates after Dyfed-Powys Police applied for a destruction order for his adult male XL Bully, known as Bruno.

Contingent destruction order

The court was told the dog meets the statutory definition of a prohibited type under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Magistrates said they were satisfied the animal fell within the XL Bully classification and therefore required an exemption in order to be kept lawfully.

Instead of ordering Bruno’s immediate destruction, the bench granted a contingent destruction order, meaning the dog can be kept only if Davies complies with a lengthy list of conditions designed to protect public safety.

Davies must, within 28 days, apply to register Bruno on the official Index of Exempted Dogs and provide proof of:

microchipping
third-party liability insurance
veterinary certification confirming the dog has been neutered

Bruno must be fully registered with DEFRA within two months from the date of the order.

Strict control rules

The court also imposed stringent behavioural controls. Bruno must be:

muzzled at all times in public, in any vehicle, and inside the home if anyone is present other than Davies, his partner, or his three children

kept on a lead no longer than six feet, held by someone aged 16 or over who is physically capable of controlling the dog

secured in a separate room or muzzled and on a lead whenever the front door is opened to visitors

only allowed to roam freely in the garden once it has been made fully secure with a 6-foot perimeter fence

Davies must also bear all associated costs, including registration fees, insurance, and kennel fees incurred while Bruno was held during the court process. The application fee of £284 must also be paid.

Warning issued

Magistrates warned that any breach of the conditions will result in Bruno being destroyed.

The bench said the order “adequately balances public safety with the respondent’s rights”, noting they had considered both the dog’s temperament and its past behaviour before granting the exemption pathway.

Bruno will remain at risk of destruction unless full compliance is achieved within the required timeframes.

Crime

Motorist banned for three years after driving with cannabis in system

Published

49 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Sarah Jane Absalom

Driver stopped on Hamilton Terrace was over legal limit for Delta-9 THC

A 40-YEAR-OLD Milford Haven motorist has lost her driving licence after being caught driving with cannabis in her system.

Joanna Bates was stopped by police on the afternoon of September 22 after officers received reports of a suspected drug driver travelling along Hamilton Terrace in a Vauxhall Astra.

Blood tests later confirmed she had 2.8 mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in her system. The legal limit is 2 mcg.

Bates, of Plas Peregrine, Steynton, pleaded guilty to the drug-driving offence when she appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

She was disqualified from driving for three years, fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 in court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Crime

Kilgetty scaffolder sentenced after driving with cocaine and in system

Published

1 hour ago

December 10, 2025

Sarah Jane Absalom

Judge imposes three-year ban and unpaid work

A PEMBROKESHIRE scaffolder who was caught driving with a cocktail of drugs in his system has been sentenced by a judge sitting at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

Jordan Whalley, 26, was seen driving his Ford Fiesta at excessive speed on the A478 near Begelly on October 3. A roadside drugs wipe tested positive, and subsequent blood analysis showed he had 36 mcg of cocaine, 240 mcg of benzoylecgonine, and 152 mcg of ketamine in his system.

Whalley, of Ryelands Lane, Kilgetty, pleaded guilty this week to three counts of drug-driving.

Probation officer Julie Norman told the court: “He’d been to a party the day before and thought the drugs would be out of his system by the following day.”

District Judge Mark Layton banned Whalley from driving for 36 months and ordered him to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay a £114 surcharge and £85 costs.

Crime

Johnston woman banned for three years after late-night drug-drive stop

Published

3 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Court Reporter

Previous drink-drive conviction triggered extended disqualification

A 54-YEAR-OLD woman has been banned from the roads for three years after being caught drug-driving on the main road through Johnston.

Julie Meehan was stopped by officers in the early hours of July 25 as she drove her Ford Fiesta along the A4076. A roadside drugs wipe returned a positive result, and subsequent blood analysis recorded 8 mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. The legal limit is 2 mcg.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that Meehan, of Silverdale Lodge, Johnston, had a previous drink-driving conviction within the last ten years, meaning her driving ban was subject to an automatic extension.

District Judge Mark Layton banned Meehan for a total of three years. She was also fined £120, ordered to pay £85 costs, and a £48 surcharge.