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Couple banned from owning animals

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rocky

Poor Rocky: He was unable to see before due to matted fur.

A HAVERFORDWEST couple appeared in front of the town’s magistrates on Tuesday (Feb 11) to face charges of animal cruelty against their own dog. Jason Arnold and Kerry Ann Webber both of Freeman’s View were over an hour late arriving at court but finally attended face the charges against them.

Jason Arnold pleaded guilty to the three charges of animal cruelty. The court heard that Arnold had not taken the right steps to look after his long-haired mongrel, Rocky. According to the RSPCA who were prosecuting the case, he had not provided a safe environment, he did not ensure the need of a suitable diet and he failed to protect his dog from pain, injury or disease. Kerry Ann Webber pleaded guilty to the one charge placed against her; she failed to protect the dog from pain, injury or disease.

The prosecutor John Tarrant summarised the charges against the two defendants. He commented that Kerry’s involvement with the dog was far less than Jason’s, but Rocky was a household dog. Before going into detail about the charges, Tarrant handed Magistrates the original copies of photographs of Rocky at the time he was taken into RSPCA custody.

Tarrant reported that the couple’s home environment was messy and that Rocky was kept in a two foot by two foot cage – he had no room to move. When the RSPCA entered their house, they noticed that the two dog bowls were empty and that Rocky was extremely matted. He talked about the fact that Jason had said in a previous interview that their family social worker was going to take the dog to a vet or groomer.

The RSPCA visited the couple’s home on July 14, 2014, after an anonymous call was made in regards to Rocky’s welfare. Arnold refused when an RSPCA officer asked for the dog to be signed over to them.

When Rocky was taken to the vets, he weighed 7.05 kg and was given a condition score of one out of five. Rocky could not see because huge matts covered his eyes and he could not defecate because his anal area was completely matted. The prosecutor described the pain that Rocky would have been in by asking the court to imagine their hair being pulled and twisted constantly for six weeks. Rocky had to be sedated twice over four days in order to remove all of the matting. When his matts were removed, he weighed only 6 kilos. The vet said that there was no way to know the true weight of Rocky when he came in four days earlier, but it definitely would have been less than 6 kg. In a follow up examamination on the October 8 2014, Rocky weighed an average weight for his size.

Arnold had said in a previous interview that they had owned Rocky for a few months, but he had not noticed the matting. Kerry had said that she knew that it was unacceptable but that she should not be blamed as much.

Tarrant added that Rocky was in the hands of the RSPCA still and that the boarding costs were exceeding £3,000.

The defence, Sara Lewis, asked for full credit for the pair’s guilty pleas. She went on to comment that Arnold said it was completely unintentional and that he had been feeding Rocky twice a day. He took responsibility for the fact that he may not have been feeding the dog an adequate amount of food and water. He accepted that Rocky’s coat was in a mess and that it must have been like that for a period of time.

Lewis went into further detail about the fact that the family’s social worker had been making arrangements for Rocky’s coat to be groomed. The couple do not drive and were trying to look for a mobile groomer. The two had been taking steps to resolve the problem and Anna, their social worker, had made an appointment for the week following the RSPCA’s visit. Anna helps the family with their middle child, who has learning difficulties. She attends the house to help with the children, but has never raised concerns about the state of the house. Lewis stated that this would have been something that Anna would have picked up on.

Lewis went on to say that the couple are not in the position to meet the level of costs required from them. There would be little chance of them fulfilling that debt and Lewis said that they would be set up to fail if they were ordered to pay the full amount. She went on to say that the dog meant a lot to the family and that it would be an excessive punishment to let the RSPCA keep him.

Magistrates asked why the pair were late earlier in the day and they said that they had been up overnight as their youngest daughter had earache and they had overslept. He then asked the two if they were aware that the court had been waiting around for over an hour.

The decision on the case was to be made after lunch.

When the case continued after 2pm, John Tarrant told the Magistrates that when leaving court, Webber had used abusive language against the RSPCA officer who was present. The RSPCA officer had said that Kerry has called him a p***k, a f***ing liar, a w****r and said that he was telling a pack of lies. She also followed him, pointing her finger at him aggressively. The RSPCA officer informed security.

The defence responded to Tarrant by saying that it was her first time hearing the exact allegation, so she requested that she could talk with Kerry. Magistrates agreed and Webber left with Lewis. They came back shortly after, with her crying.

Lewis said that the matter would be dealt with through an apology. She requested if she could apologise on behalf of Webber, but they wanted the apology to come from the defendant. She stood and said: “I’m sorry if I caused any offence. I know I never said it but I’m sorry anyway.” The RSPCA officer accepted this apology.

Magistrates finalised the case by stating that Rocky would not be able to go back to live with the defendants. The RSPCA will rehome him. The two were also disqualified from owning animals for ten years, and they will not be able to appeal for this time to be shortened. They were both given community orders, Jason will have to complete 90 hours of unpaid work, and Kerry 40. Their £3,155 fine was reduced to £500 each and they will also have to pay a victim surcharge of £60. They will pay £5 each per week. Magistrates asked for it to be ensured that the vet would have his fees of £906 paid first.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Ian

    February 26, 2015 at 7:46 pm

    family social worker, one hour late for court, untidy house – In my opinion we have too many useless ppl here in this world – doubt whether they’ll pay the fine either 🙁

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Community

West Wales activist recalls fear and resolve after Gaza march derailed in Egypt

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Jim Scott from Mathry describes stressful journey, adapted plans, and Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout

A PEMBROKESHIRE campaigner who travelled to Egypt this month to join the Global March to Gaza has shared his personal account of a fraught and ultimately curtailed international effort to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians trapped under siege.

Travelled to Egypt: Campaigner Jim Scott

Jim Scott, from Mathry near St Davids, was among a small group of UK and Welsh activists who travelled to Cairo with the hope of reaching the Rafah crossing—via Ismailia and the Sinai desert—to hold a peaceful humanitarian presence near Gaza’s border.

The march, which attracted thousands of participants from more than 54 countries, was intended as a symbolic act calling for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But on the ground, Scott says, the effort quickly became complicated by shifting instructions, heavy surveillance, and growing pressure from Egyptian authorities.

“A moral imperative”

“I spent a week wrestling with the decision,” Scott told The Herald. “It felt like a moral imperative. I didn’t know if I was going or not—then I started planning, and the act of planning became part of the commitment.”

He flew to Cairo in early June and connected with other participants via local and international chat groups. At least eight to ten people from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, including members of CND Cymru, had joined the international delegation.

Scott said that the original plan—to take organised buses from Cairo to Al Arish and walk approximately 30 miles through the Sinai desert to Rafah—began to shift around June 13 as questions emerged about whether the Egyptian government would permit the action to proceed.

“The bus plan hadn’t disintegrated exactly—it had adapted,” he said. “There was a lot of uncertainty about whether we would be allowed to reach Rafah, so the guidance started to change.”

Changing plans and regional detours

On June 14, Scott and his travelling companion Jo Barrow—who works as a teacher in Iraq—opted to take an alternate route to Ismailia by heading north from Cairo via Zagazig, avoiding heavily monitored roads.

“We realised that taking the main highway would likely bring us into contact with checkpoints,” he said. “Our route wasn’t risk-free, but it was more discreet.”

As they travelled, group chats lit up with reports of growing interference. “From the 13th and 14th onwards, we started hearing that people were being stopped, some had their passports taken, and the situation was getting more difficult. There was fragmentation. People were getting stuck, some were being turned back.”

“No tourists permitted to remain”

After arriving in Ismailia, the pair received location instructions for a tourist resort rumoured to be able to accommodate 4,000 marchers. But confusion and logistical disarray followed.

“We reached Ismailia after dark and ended up being redirected from our accommodation,” Scott said. “We were getting two to three hours of sleep a night. The sense of being watched hadn’t stopped.”

The next day, while near the resort, Scott and Barrow were approached by police. Initially, the officers were courteous, but then one delivered a translated message using a phone:

“I am the Egyptian police. No tourists are permitted to remain in this area. You have to go back to Cairo immediately or you will be arrested.”

They complied and were instructed to book a hotel in Cairo to confirm their travel. The pair left Ismailia and returned to the capital, where the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense.

“By that point, UK organisers were reportedly being detained in cafés, and it was clear downtown Cairo was no longer safe,” Scott recalled. “We relocated south of the city. It was stressful—people felt they could be arrested at any moment. The surveillance was constant, and hotels were passing information to authorities.”

Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout

Scott said conversations with Egyptian locals offered insight into the government’s motivations.

“The word on the street from Egyptian people was that the authorities were genuinely fearful for our safety. They felt that if Israel opened fire and foreign nationals were killed, it would trigger a huge diplomatic crisis—and devastate Egypt’s tourism industry, which is vital for the country.”

He said locals acknowledged that foreign protesters were being treated more gently than Egyptian citizens would have been. “One said to me: ‘They treat you like babies compared to how they treat us.’”

According to Reuters, over 400 activists were deported and dozens more detained. The march was officially cancelled on June 16.

Scott returned to the UK on June 20. Barrow returned to Iraq the next day.

“Far more than a performative action”

Despite the disruption, Scott believes the effort had a lasting impact.

“This was far more than a performative action,” he said. “We had no choice but to act and fill a void. When governments fail to uphold international law, ordinary people have to step in.”

In a letter to Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell and Eluned Morgan MS before departing, Scott wrote: “I feel I must act where you have not acted. The UK Government has failed to stop a genocide and has, in fact, been complicit by continuing to authorise arms sales and military cooperation with Israel.”

He welcomed Morgan’s later remarks acknowledging that Welsh citizens had travelled to Egypt for the march and said it was important to have that public recognition.

“For some people watching back home, it wasn’t just another protest. It was their loved ones out there. That helped build awareness in a new way.”

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Community

Five call outs for Angle RNLI in just one week

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ANGLE RNLI volunteers have had a busy week, with five shouts in just seven days — including two late-night launches, a drifting boat, and two separate incidents on the Cleddau Bridge.

Late-night lifeboat launch after drifting boat reported

In the early hours of Sunday morning (June 22), the crew were woken at 1:54am to reports of a vessel drifting near Lawrenny Quay. The all-weather lifeboat launched swiftly and began searching the area, deploying the smaller Y boat up the Cresswell River while the main crew combed the Carew River and Lawrenny moorings.

With nothing spotted, they pushed on up the Cleddau as far as Llangwm. Thankfully, no one was found in danger, and the crew were stood down around 4:20am. Tenby and Broad Haven Coastguard teams were also on scene carrying out searches from the shoreline.

False alarm near Wards Pier

On Wednesday evening (June 18), lifeboat crew already training at the station were sent out after reports of two 12-year-olds in the water off Wards Pier. They launched quickly and arrived on scene to find no sign of anyone in difficulty — just a few fishermen who hadn’t seen anything.

After a short coordinated search with Dale Coastguard and police, the call was confirmed as a false alarm. The crew were back at the jetty by 7:30pm.

Yacht breakdown sparks rescue mission

On Monday morning (June 16), at 10:19am, the Angle crew were called out to assist a 37-foot yacht with three people on board, drifting three miles south-west of St Ann’s Head with engine failure.

The yacht was under sail but unable to reach safety. A tow was passed, and the lifeboat took the vessel to Hobbs Point, transferring to an alongside tow for the final stretch. The mission was completed by 1:00pm, and the lifeboat was made ready for its next job.

Two separate shouts to Cleddau Bridge

There were also two call-outs to the Cleddau Bridge — one on Saturday afternoon (June 21) and one this evening (June 22) at 5:23pm — both for incidents where police requested assistance. In both cases, the crew were preparing to launch but were stood down before hitting the water, after officers confirmed the incidents had been safely resolved.

Volunteers always ready

The RNLI crew at Angle remain on call 24/7, ready to respond no matter the time, weather or nature of the call. As this week shows — whether it’s a drifting boat, missing children, or a stricken yacht — they’re always ready to answer the call.

Brave volunteers: Ready at all hours to keep our coastlines safe (Pic: RNLI Angle)

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Entertainment

Programme unveiled for Fishguard Festival of Music 2025

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International stars and Welsh talent set to perform across the region

THE 2025 Fishguard Festival of Music will run from July 18 to 31, bringing a packed programme of classical and contemporary music to venues across Fishguard, Goodwick, and beyond.

The festival will open with a performance by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra at ST DAVID’S CATHEDRAL, featuring celebrated soprano REBECCA EVANS CBE as the soloist.

Now in its 53rd year, the festival continues its mission to showcase international excellence alongside emerging and homegrown talent, with concerts taking place at locations including THEATR GWAUN, BETHEL CHAPEL, NEUADD Y DDERWEN, RHOSYGILWEN, and open-air performances on THE PARROG in GOODWICK.

Artistic Director GILLIAN GREEN MBE said: “It’s a pleasure to share this year’s programme, which draws inspiration from our past and looks boldly to the future. Audiences will experience a rich variety of classical music performed by some of the finest artists working today.”

The line-up features names from across the UK and further afield, including the AQUARELLE GUITAR QUARTET, harpist MARED PUGH-EVANS, and percussionist DELIA STEVENS alongside harmonica virtuoso WILL POUND.

The festival also includes talks by composer and broadcaster GERAINT LEWIS, and a special appearance by the NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF WALES, who will close the festival at ST DAVID’S CATHEDRAL on July 31.

This year’s full programme includes:

Friday, July 18 – Welsh National Opera Orchestra with Rebecca Evans, St David’s Cathedral
Saturday, July 19 – Delia Stevens & Will Pound, Theatr Gwaun
Sunday, July 20 – Free open-air performances, The Parrog, Goodwick
Monday, July 21 – Ryan Vaughan Davies & David Doidge, Neuadd y Dderwen, Rhosygilwen
Tuesday, July 22 – Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, Bethel Chapel
Wednesday, July 23 – Mared Pugh-Evans (harp), Bethel Chapel
Thursday, July 24 – WNO Chamber Ensemble, Neuadd y Dderwen
Friday, July 25 – Kosmos Ensemble, Theatr Gwaun
Saturday, July 26 – Geoff Eales Trio, Theatr Gwaun
Sunday, July 27 – Geraint Lewis talks at Twr y Felin and St Peter’s Church, plus Young Music Makers of Dyfed at Theatr Gwaun
Monday, July 28 – Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Bethel Chapel
Tuesday, July 29 – Saints and Stones Tour, various locations
Wednesday, July 30 – Laura van der Heijden & Jâms Coleman, Neuadd y Dderwen
Thursday, July 31 – National Youth Orchestra of Wales, St David’s Cathedral

More information and tickets are available through the festival’s official website.

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