A MAN accused of assault following an incident at a Tenby hotel has denied the allegation and will now stand trial later this year.

Leon Jenkins, aged thirty-two, of Bryn Terrace, Lletty Brongu, Maesteg, appeared before Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Mar 9) where he pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The charge relates to an alleged incident at The Dunes Hotel in Tenby.

The case was previously heard at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, where magistrates declined jurisdiction and sent the matter to the Crown Court due to the seriousness of the allegation.

During the earlier hearing, prosecutors did not outline details of the injuries said to have been sustained and the complainant has not been publicly identified.

At Monday’s Crown Court hearing Jenkins formally denied the charge.

He was granted conditional bail and the case was listed for trial.

The matter is due to be heard before a judge and jury at Swansea Crown Court on August 18.

Police appeal for witnesses after midday incident

POLICE are appealing for information after a man exposed himself to a woman on a popular walking and cycling route between Rosemarket and Johnston.

The incident happened at around 12:00pm on Thursday (Mar 5) on the Brunel cycle path.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the victim was walking along the path when a man on a bicycle cycled past her. A short time later, the same man returned from the direction he had initially travelled and approached the woman before exposing himself.

The offender then cycled away from the scene in the direction of Neyland.

The man is described as being of slim build and was wearing a black balaclava along with a grey top and grey bottoms. The victim believes the bicycle he was riding was black.

Detective Constable Imogen Nunnick, from North Pembrokeshire CID, is appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has information that could help identify the man to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101 and quoting reference 26*179651.

Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

Jury convicts Pendine man after court hears he raped intoxicated teenager in caravan during family holiday

A MAN who raped a teenage girl in a caravan while she was on holiday with her family in west Wales has been jailed for ten years.

Leon Kidner, aged 34, attacked the 15-year-old at a caravan site in Pendine, Carmarthenshire, after giving her cannabis while knowing she had also consumed alcohol.

Swansea Crown Court heard that in the early hours of the morning Kidner sexually assaulted the girl before raping her inside the caravan.

Prosecutor Christopher Rees KC told the court that the victim was in an intoxicated state at the time of the attack.

A forensic examination later confirmed that Kidner had ejaculated inside the victim.

After the attack was reported to police, Kidner claimed during interview that the girl had initiated the sexual activity and that it had been consensual.

He repeated that account during the trial, but a jury rejected his version of events. He was convicted of two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of rape.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said the rape had left her feeling “violated” and “like something was taken away from me”.

She said she now struggles to sleep and suffers from nightmares, and that her schoolwork has suffered as a result of what happened.

The girl said she had found it difficult to talk to anyone about the attack because “nobody truly understands what I have been through”.

She added: “I feel hollow and unstable. Every day feels like a struggle to feel normal again.”

The victim said the assault in the caravan had affected every part of her life, including her relationships, her education, her wellbeing and how she sees herself.

Kidner, of Castell Toch Caravan Park, Pendine, has 34 previous convictions for 71 offences including violence and robbery, although none were sexual offences.

His barrister, Lowri Wyn Morgan, told the court that her client was “deeply sorry” for the pain and suffering he had caused. She said that during childhood he had been “passed between family members”, had left school at 14, and that drink and drugs had affected much of his adult life.

The court heard that Kidner now accepts his guilt and described what happened in Pendine as “one huge huge mistake”. Judge Geraint Walters told the defendant that the “wickedness” of this type of offending was that it “leaves a life-long scar” on victims, and leaves them feeling violated. Kidner was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life and was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to manage his access to girls.

Speaking after sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Katie Rees of Dyfed-Powys Police said: “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the victim in this case who showed profound courage from the very outset of the investigation, despite her young age.

“The victim showed immense strength, character and resilience and should be proud of how she has conducted herself throughout the investigation. It is thanks to her bravery that Leon Kidner will now spend a significant period in prison.

“I welcome the sentence passed today, which highlights the seriousness of the offences. While it cannot undo the harm caused, it will hopefully provide the victim with a degree of closure.”