A 72-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has appeared before magistrates charged with 17 sexual offences against children under the age of 14.

The Crown Prosecution alleges that between May 2004 and April 2007 Robert Hughes of The Close, Spittal, sexually assaulted three girls on eight separate occasions, by touching. At the time of the alleged offences, the girls were aged under 13.

Hughes faces nine additional charges of gross indecency against four girls under the age of 14, allegedly committed between October 1998 and October 2004.

The Crown alleges that all offences took place in Haverfordwest,

Hughes denied all 17 charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday via a video link from his home.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction in the matter. Trial proceedings against Hughes will now commence at Swansea Crown Court on May 24.

Hughes was granted conditional bail, the conditions being that he does not contact the four complainants nor the Prosecution witnesses. He must also notify the police if he changes his address and must have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18.

A FORMER army officer has appeared before magistrates after being caught drug-driving just one week before being granted a medical prescription for cannabis.

Shane Blofield was stopped by police soon at 9am on November 7 as he drove his white Ford transit van on the A40 through Slebech.

A roadside drugs swipe proved positive and subsequent blood tests showed he had 5.8mcg of Delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The specified legal limit is 2.

This week Blofield, of Clos Pluguen, Llandovery, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving above the specified drug limit when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates.

“This is a former army officer who has served his country well and is the father to three young children,” said his counsel, Dr Bobby Shabir of the Kings Bench Chambers.

“My client has a prolapse as well as issues with his back, and as a result he requires medicinal cannabis for health reasons. A prescription for cannabis was sadly given to him a week after the incident, because at the time, he was oblivious to the fact that he could get it on prescription.”

Dr Shabbir presented the magistrates with three character references including one from his former employer and a work colleague. He informed magistrates that Blofield is currently unemployed.

After considering the mitigation, magistrates disqualified Shane Blofied from driving for 12 months. He was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 surcharge.

A 33-YEAR-OLD homeless woman has appeared before magistrates after squatting down in the centre of Haverfordwest to urinate in front of members of the public, including children.

Paramedics were called to Picton Place on the afternoon of March 11, following reports that a woman was lying unconscious in the street.

Upon arrival, they discovered Rebecca David.

“The paramedics recognised the female as the defendant as they had dealt with her previously,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“She sat up shortly after they arrived and began swearing and shouting, telling the paramedics to f*** off. She then said ‘I need a piss’ and proceeded to walk down an alley near to the bus stop.”

The paramedics followed David, fearing for her personal safety, and requested the police to attend as a result of her aggressive nature.

“They then saw her squat down as she tried to urinate,” continued Abigail Jackson. “The officers turned around to try to prevent members of the public seeing what she was doing, as these included children.”

David pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive words and behaviour that was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

She was fined £40 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 court surcharge.