The trial has begun for a man accused of causing the death of six-month-old Sophia Kelemen in Tenby.

Flaviu Naghi, 34, formerly of Leigh and now of Luton, is charged with causing her death following an incident in a multi-storey car park on 2 January 2025. Sophia was hit on the ground floor and rushed to hospital, but tragically died from her injuries the following day. An inquest later heard she died from an intracranial haemorrhage caused by a road traffic collision.

Naghi has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, as well as an alternative charge of causing death by careless driving while unfit through drugs. During a brief plea hearing at Swansea Crown Court earlier this year, he spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas. Judge Catherine Richards adjourned the case at that stage and released him on conditional bail, with the trial initially scheduled to last a week.

At the opening of the trial, legal arguments were heard before the jury was called. Naghi is represented by John Hipkin KC and Dean Pulling, while the prosecution is led by Tom Crowther KC. Judge Richards adjourned briefly to consider points raised before proceedings continued.

The case has drawn significant attention in the local community, where the tragedy of Sophia’s death has left a lasting impact.

Pembrokeshire County Council has warned residents that worsening weather this afternoon, particularly in the east of the county, will affect roads and services.

The Council said it would be closing some services early to allow staff to travel home safely. Schools that opened as normal this morning are also set to close early.

Forecasters expect snow and sleet to become heavier later today in eastern parts of the county, which could lead to travel disruption on untreated roads. Overnight, road surface temperatures are forecast to fall to around -2.5°C, with the risk of sleet or snow on higher ground.

Council teams have been continuously gritting and patrolling all primary routes since yesterday afternoon. Precautionary salting, patrolling, and ploughing of primary and secondary routes will continue through the afternoon, evening, and overnight. Gritting route information is available on the Council’s website.

The Council added that road surfaces are likely to remain below freezing for much of tomorrow morning and into the early afternoon.

Due to high call volumes, residents are being asked to contact the Council only in emergencies or for urgent matters. Road users are advised to take care, particularly on untreated roads, and to travel only if essential.

The weather may also affect school openings tomorrow, with updates to be posted on the Council’s dedicated school closure page.

The sentencing of David Prothero was described by police as being “as much about freedom as it is about justice” for his young victims.

A man has been jailed for sexually abusing two young girls and physically assaulting other children, in a case in which he initially attempted to blame his offending on alcohol and drug use.

David Prothero, 39, repeatedly sexually assaulted the children, including an incident in which he molested a girl while she was wearing her school party dress. He also orally raped one of his victims. In total, he subjected four children to sexual abuse or physical violence.

At Swansea Crown Court, the judge described Prothero’s actions as “inexcusable” and warned that his behaviour would have “devastating” long-term consequences for the victims.

Prosecutor Andrew Kendall told the court that the offences came to light in August last year when one victim disclosed to her mother that she had been sexually assaulted and orally raped by Prothero. One of the assaults involved him touching the girl’s breasts while she was in a party dress.

Following these revelations, police launched an investigation, which identified further victims: a young teenage girl who had been repeatedly sexually abused, and a boy and girl who had been subjected to physical violence.

Prothero, from Tumble, Carmarthenshire, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of oral rape of a female aged 13, four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a female under 18, four counts of sexual assault, ill-treatment of a child, and assault by beating. He has one previous conviction for being drunk and disorderly from 2009.

Defence barrister James Hartson told the court that Prothero had no prior history of sexual or violent offending. He said his client was “mortified, ashamed, and deeply embarrassed” by his actions and was “struggling to come to terms” with them. Hartson explained that Prothero had previously worked as a carpenter before developing addictions to drugs and alcohol. While Prothero had attempted to attribute his offending to substance misuse, the barrister acknowledged that this “was not an explanation which washed with probation and will not wash with this court—there can be no excuse.”

Judge Huw Rees emphasised the “inexcusable” nature of Prothero’s behaviour and its “devastating” impact on both the victims and their families.

Taking into account his guilty pleas, Prothero was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison. He will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody, with the remainder served on licence in the community. He will be a registered sex offender for life and is subject to indefinite sexual harm prevention orders, as well as lifelong restraining orders to prevent contact with his victims.

Dyfed-Powys Police detective inspector Rebecca Thomas, of the Carmarthenshire rape investigation team, described the case as “disturbing,” involving four young and innocent victims.

She praised the victims’ courage, saying: “The bravery shown by the victims in this case must be recognised. Their courage to speak out against this abuser is ultimately what has put David Prothero in prison today. These children are a credit to themselves and to their family.

“If anyone, no matter their age, finds themselves suffering in silence, I want to encourage them to come forward. We have a dedicated team of investigators, specially trained in crimes of this nature, who will support you every step of the way. We are compassionate, and we are capable. We will do everything we can to secure justice, as we have seen today.

“I won’t forget the moment one victim said, ‘He can’t control me anymore,’ when Prothero entered his guilty pleas.”