Ben Jenkins, twenty-six, denies GBH after woman suffered facial fractures during Guy Fawkes Night incident outside Nos Da in 2023

A MILFORD HAVEN man accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a woman outside a town centre pub has told a Crown Court jury he acted in self-defence because he feared he was about to be run over.

Ben Jenkins, 26, of St Lawrence Avenue, Hakin, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Allison Bernard outside the Nos Da Bar, Victoria Road, Milford Haven, on Guy Fawkes Night, November 5, 2023.

The jury retired to consider its verdict on Wednesday (Jan 14) after hearing evidence from Jenkins and other witnesses.

A verdict is expected later this week.

On the stand

Giving evidence, Jenkins told the court he had been standing in the road outside Nos Da at about 3:00am, talking to his fiancée, Bronwyn Jenkins.

He said a silver car pulled up behind Mrs Jenkins’ vehicle and someone shouted words to the effect of: “Get out of the f***ing way or I’ll f***ing run you over.”

“I was terrified,” Jenkins told the jury. “I thought my life was in danger.”

He said he went straight home after the incident. The court heard Jenkins provided a prepared statement to police but answered “no comment” in interview.

Under cross-examination, the jury was told Jenkins had consumed six or seven pints of cider and three or four rum and cokes. Jenkins maintained he was not intoxicated.

Prosecutors also questioned why the alleged threat to run him over was not included in his prepared statement.

CCTV footage was shown to the jury which the prosecution said appeared to show Jenkins being held back by a friend to prevent him approaching the car. Jenkins told the court his friend was not holding him back.

Further CCTV was said to show Jenkins being dragged away during the incident. Jenkins told the court this was “just a coincidence,” adding that he was going to stop punching anyway.

Jenkins said he did not know the driver was a woman at the time. He told the jury: “I swung four times but only one punch connected.”

“Shaken and tearful”

Bronwyn Jenkins told the court that when she picked her partner up later, he was “extremely shaken and tearful,” and said he had been in fear for his life.

She told the court she felt threatened after a car pulled up behind her and there was aggressive shouting. Mrs Jenkins said she drove down to a roundabout to get out of the way and did not see the incident itself.

Victim’s account

Allison Bernard, the complainant, told the court she and her husband had been driving home after a night out at the Manchester Club when they had to stop abruptly behind Mrs Jenkins’ car, which she said was parked in the middle of the road.

Mrs Bernard told the court she asked for the car to be moved and did not want to overtake because of the position of the vehicle. She said two men near the car made inappropriate gestures towards her, prompting her husband to tell her to pull over.

Her husband, Mr Bernard, told the court he had been in the Manchester Club earlier and was already upset because his own car had been written off while it was stationary. He said he had called police but no officer attended, leaving him irate.

He told the jury he saw the men making gestures and heard shouting, and told his wife: “What’s their f***ing problem? Pull the f***ing car over.”

Mr Bernard alleged he saw Jenkins punch his wife four times and heard him say: “You f***ing deserved that, b****h.”

Prosecution and defence

Prosecuting barrister Georgia Donahue told the court Mrs Bernard suffered two facial fractures and a perforated sinus, along with bruising and bleeding.

She said the victim was not aiming to run Jenkins over, and told the jury the Crown’s case was that the violence was “completely disproportionate” and amounted to retaliation rather than self-defence. The prosecution suggested it was Mr Bernard who was the aggressor.

The defence barrister told the jury the she accepted the vehicle moved in the direction of Jenkins, but it was for the prosecution to prove Jenkins was not acting in self-defence.

He also referred to Jenkins’ character references, and told the jury Jenkins did not realise a woman was in the driver’s seat.

Jenkins was released on unconditional bail while the jury deliberates

PEMBROKESHIRE Senedd Members Paul Davies MS and Samuel Kurtz MS have accused the Welsh Government of overlooking the county’s ports after a ministerial statement on the Irish Sea Taskforce failed to mention either Pembroke Dock or Fishguard.

The Irish Sea Taskforce was set up following the temporary closure of Holyhead Port in late 2024 after damage to its berths. The aim was to improve resilience across Welsh and Irish Sea routes, bringing together the Welsh and Irish governments, other UK administrations, local authorities and port, ferry and logistics operators.

But Pembrokeshire’s two MSs said the Transport Secretary’s written statement referenced Holyhead directly while making no specific mention of Fishguard Harbour or Pembroke Dock, despite their role as key ferry terminals and their importance to the regional economy.

During the Holyhead disruption, operators and passengers were forced to seek alternatives, placing additional focus on other Irish Sea routes. The politicians argued that Pembrokeshire’s ports should be recognised in Welsh Government plans for future contingencies, investment and long term connectivity.

The Welsh Government statement did acknowledge the need to look at further improvements to the A40 and A477 trunk roads through Pembrokeshire as part of wider resilience planning, including how disruption at ports is managed and how welfare needs for stranded drivers are met.

Commenting, Paul Davies MS said: “Pembrokeshire plays a strategically vital role in strengthening the long standing relationship between Wales and Ireland and so it’s disappointing that our local ports were not acknowledged in the Welsh Government’s latest statement on the Irish Sea Taskforce. These ports are critical to our regional economy, and they form an essential part of the wider UK Ireland connectivity network.

“Moving forward, I look forward to hearing more about how the Welsh Government will be improving the A40 to better support trade links between the two countries. I’ve long campaigned for the A40 to be dualled to Fishguard and I hope the Welsh Government will seriously consider this proposal, as a way of further strengthening the transport network in the region.”

Samuel Kurtz MS added: “Paul and I are deeply concerned that this Taskforce has not been given the same level of attention to the needs of the ports at Pembroke Dock and Fishguard as it has to Holyhead. These ports are central to the Pembrokeshire economy, they came to the rescue when Holyhead was forced to close, and their role and futures must not be overlooked, and I’ve raised this repeatedly on the floor of the Senedd.

“Sadly, yet again it seems that Pembrokeshire and all it can offer, is a blind spot for Labour Ministers in Cardiff Bay.”

The Welsh Government said the Taskforce work will feed into a wider ports and maritime, freight and logistics plan, with further work also expected on contingency arrangements during disruption, including stacking and driver welfare measures. Ministers have also indicated they want closer ongoing engagement with the sector through a follow on council focused on logistics and freight.

The Herald has asked the Welsh Government whether it accepts Pembrokeshire’s ports should have been referenced directly in the Taskforce statement and what, if any, specific work is planned to support Fishguard Harbour and Pembroke Dock alongside road improvements on the A40 and A477.

Pembroke Dock defendant failed to attend court and missed two post-release supervision appointments, magistrates hear

A PEMBROKE DOCK man is wanted by police after Haverfordwest magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest over an alleged breach of post-sentence supervision.

Joshua Spicer, 39, of Flat 5, Main Street, Pembroke Dock, was due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Jan 14) but did not attend.

The court heard the National Probation Service had brought breach proceedings alleging Spicer failed without reasonable excuse to comply with supervision requirements imposed following his release from prison.

It is alleged he failed to attend a planned office appointment on Thursday (Jan 2) and again on Friday (Jan 9), contrary to section 256AC of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Magistrates issued a warrant for Spicer’s arrest without bail.

The warrant was allocated to police for execution.