A 65-YEAR-OLD man who admitted stealing more than £27,000 from a registered charity has been given a suspended prison sentence after appearing at Crown Court on Thursday (Jan 15).

Howard Davies, of Carmarthen, pleaded guilty to defrauding Llanddarog and District Agricultural Society while acting as its treasurer. The court heard the offending took place between July 2018 and February 2024, with Davies admitting stealing £27,552.

Davies attended court aware that a custodial sentence was a likely outcome, and it was noted he arrived with a packed bag, indicating he expected to be sent to prison.

In mitigation, his barrister said Davies did not seek to minimise the seriousness of the offence and described his behaviour as “out of character”. The court was told his wife only became aware of the fraud after police became involved.

The defence also told the court a cheque had been prepared to repay the charity’s committee members, but said Davies had been unable to hand it over earlier because his bail conditions prevented him from contacting them.

“There is no reason why he could give the cheque today,” His Honour Judge Geraint Walters said.

The judge was highly critical of Davies’ conduct, describing him as a “crook and fraudster”. The offence was assessed as a Category 3A case.

After applying full credit for an early guilty plea — resulting in a one-third reduction — the court imposed a sentence of 22 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. Davies was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid unpaid work in the community.

Davies had previously appeared at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court in December, where he admitted fraud by abuse of position. The case was then committed to Swansea Crown Court for sentence.

YOUNG musicians from across the area are being invited to take part in the next stage of Narberth and Whitland Rotary’s annual Young Musician Competition.

The first round of this year’s contest was held at Bethesda Chapel in Narberth, with Rotary members thanking the performers, judges, parents, teachers and caterers for supporting what they described as an excellent evening of local talent.

The Round 1 winners were instrumental performer Lleucu Haf Thomas, who played grand piano, and vocalist Max Morris. Both are students at Ysgol Bro Preseli.

The next round, bringing together winners from other first-round competitions, will take place at Bethesda Chapel on Wednesday (Jan 21), starting at 6:30pm. Admission is free and all are welcome.

ADULTS in Pembrokeshire who have ever fancied trying their hand at scriptwriting are being invited to join a new series of creative writing workshops at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.

The theatre is running fun, fortnightly sessions designed to help participants explore and develop writing for the stage in a supportive setting. The workshops are open to anyone aged 18 and over, and no previous experience is needed — just a willingness to share ideas and get writing.

The sessions are part of the Torch Theatre’s wider programme of community activities, aimed at giving more people the chance to get involved in the arts.

Torch Theatre Senior Manager for Youth and Community, Tim Howe, said the workshops are designed to help writers turn ideas into playable scenes and believable characters.

“We will help get your ideas out of your head and on to the page, give your characters voices, and support you in sharing your work with others,” he said. “To get the most out of your experience, we aim to create a nurturing and creative space so we can turn you into a writer for the stage.”

Tim added that each term explores a different approach to writing, with the current focus on verbatim theatre — a style that uses real people’s words and transforms them into scripts for performance.

“At the end of each term, we hold an informal sharing of the work which you can invite family and friends along to,” he said.

The workshops will be held on Thursdays from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Torch Theatre, with sessions taking place on January 15 and 29, February 12, and March 5 and 19.

Each session costs £10, or £50 for the full term.

For more information, contact the Torch Theatre Box Office on 01646 695267, or email Tim Howe at [email protected].