A CAMPAIGN to secure compensation for Brian Buckle – a man who spent over five years in prison before being cleared of all charges – has now gained more than 39,000 signatures.

Mr Buckle was convicted in 2017 of 16 counts of rape and sexual assault, but in 2022 the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction after new evidence emerged. At a retrial, it took a jury less than an hour to find him not guilty on all counts.

Despite this, the Ministry of Justice has refused to award Mr Buckle compensation for the time he spent in prison, citing a requirement to “prove innocence beyond reasonable doubt” – a standard which critics say is almost impossible to meet.

The petition, hosted on Change.org and backed by his legal team and supporters, has been signed by more than 39,000 people. Although widely shared and supported, the petition is not on the official UK Parliament petitions site and therefore cannot by itself trigger a debate in the House of Commons.

However, Mr Buckle’s case has already been raised in Parliament. On March 19, 2025, Ceredigion MP Ben Lake used a Westminster Hall debate on miscarriage of justice compensation to highlight the case, describing the situation as “a moral and legal failure”.

Mr Lake told fellow MPs: “Brian Buckle was imprisoned for over five years for crimes he did not commit. He lost his liberty, his livelihood, and missed key moments in his daughter’s life. He was cleared of all charges, and yet the Ministry of Justice says he has not proven his innocence enough to be compensated.”

Mr Buckle’s barrister, Stephen Vullo KC, said the current system is broken: “The bar is so high that hardly anyone can jump it. If the Court of Appeal quashes a conviction and a jury later finds a person not guilty on all counts, what more should be required?”

The Ministry of Justice acknowledged Mr Buckle’s acquittal, but insisted that his application did not meet the strict criteria under Section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. In a letter, the Ministry stated: “You are presumed to be and remain innocent of the charges brought against you. However, we do not consider that you have demonstrated this innocence beyond reasonable doubt.”

Mr Buckle said the process has left him feeling re-traumatised: “I’m not asking for millions. I just want the injustice I suffered to be acknowledged. The compensation wouldn’t even cover my lost wages, but it would help me start to rebuild my life.”

His family raised and spent significant funds to secure the evidence needed to clear his name – including selling his father-in-law’s house to pay for legal fees and investigations. Tragically, his father-in-law died before the retrial.

Campaigners are now calling for the law to be changed so that those who are cleared of serious crimes following a wrongful conviction are entitled to automatic compensation.

The Herald understands that while Mr Buckle’s Change.org petition cannot trigger a debate in Parliament, there remains the possibility that further political pressure could result in formal policy review or a government rethink.

HAVERFORDWEST Magistrates’ Court has granted liability orders against more than 160 individuals who failed to pay their council tax, following a mass application by Pembrokeshire County Council.

In a hearing held on Monday (Apr 14), the local authority brought a complaint under regulation 34 of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992, seeking liability orders in 256 cases.

The court granted 164 liability orders, which allow the council to take enforcement action such as instructing bailiffs or deducting money directly from wages or benefits. A further 40 accounts were settled before the hearing, and 52 cases were withdrawn.

None of the defendants were present in court and none were in custody.

The Herald understands that a full schedule of names and case outcomes has been provided separately by the local authority.

FISHGUARD RNLI volunteers are celebrating a week of outstanding achievement, with multiple crew members successfully completing key assessments for both shoreside and seagoing roles.

The intensive week was made possible by a visiting RNLI coxswain from another station who was training to qualify on Fishguard’s class of all-weather lifeboat (ALB). Their presence provided a valuable opportunity for local crew to progress, as several assessments required oversight from a regional RNLI assessor.

On the first day, crew members Bryn and Cedwyn completed their Tier 2 ALB assessments. This involved demonstrating advanced competencies including anchoring, towing, and helming the Search and Rescue vessel without supervision, as well as the ability to assist in supervising others.

Simultaneously, crew member Jessica undertook her practical navigation assessment, followed by a theory paper onshore. She proved her expertise in using the lifeboat’s electronic navigation system, radar, and paper charts, along with a solid understanding of maritime navigation rules. Already a Tier 2 crew member for the inshore lifeboat (ILB), Jessica has now been appointed navigator for both the ALB and ILB.

Day two saw further ILB assessments. Bryn passed both the practical and theory components to qualify as an ILB navigator, while crew member Florian successfully completed his assessment to become an ILB helm. This key role involves commanding and controlling the lifeboat during service launches. Florian achieved this milestone in just two and a half years, thanks to his commitment, residential training, and determination to support the station.

On the third day, Jessica completed another assessment—this time for helming the station’s boarding boat. This retired ILB, normally used as a raft between the ALB and access stairs, requires a qualified helm when used independently, such as when the ALB is on the outer mooring or during training exercises.

The week concluded with a final success: crew member Jayne passed her assessment to become Fishguard’s newest Launch Authority. Having joined the station as a trainee in late 2024, she now serves as the first point of contact for HM Coastguard, authorising launches and briefing the coxswain or helm. She also gathers post-launch information for RNLI Headquarters in Poole.

Fishguard’s strong start to 2025 also saw ILB crew member Rhodri and ALB crew member Nick complete their Tier 1 assessments earlier this year. This stage requires demonstrating competence under instruction and supervision. Both are now working towards Tier 2 qualifications.

Shoreside roles were not left out, with assessments for Plant Operators responsible for launching and recovering the ILB. Cedwyn completed his first assessment, while Chris, Rhys, and Warren successfully underwent their scheduled re-evaluations. All four also qualified as Head Launchers—a new requirement for those overseeing ILB launch preparations.

Station coxswain Gemma Gill praised the team’s efforts, saying:

“It is fantastic to see the achievements of crew who were still relatively new when I joined the station last year. The charity introduced a new training and assessment framework last April, and these enthusiastic crew picked up the baton and really ran with it. They have all shown determination over the last 12 months in training, and pushing themselves to achieve, putting them in a position of real value to the station.”

“Everyone who joins us on the crew here in Fishguard is on their own journey and travels at their own speed, but they’ll always have the support of a great group of volunteers.

If anyone is interested in starting their journey, please get in touch with us via our social media channels—we’re on Facebook and Instagram.”