Community

Pembroke Dock: Prince landlord narrowly escapes jail following benefits fraud

Published

10 years ago

March 30, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Suspended sentence: Keith
Francis

A “GREEDY and dishonest” Pembroke businessman fiddled more than £40,000 in benefits while banking over £2M pounds, a judge heard on Monday (Mar 30).

Keith Francis, aged 70, kept quiet about operating six bank accounts and owning pubs, a restaurant and apartments.

Francis, of Bush Rise, Bush Hill, admitted defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions out of pension credits worth £41,851.

Swansea Crown Court heard he had repaid just £2,431.

Merion Davies, prosecuting, said Francis applied for credits in 2004 but would not have been entitled to anything had he told the truth about his financial affairs. But he claimed to have no assets or investments, or any income.

Francis began to receive about £157 on top of his state pension.

But DWP officials found four bank accounts used by Francis and that £2.1m of income had passed through them while he continued to receive pension credits.

Francis had told the Department he had once been a publican, but had stopped in June, 2004, and would never return to the trade.

Officials then discovered he had a financial interest in The Moat House, Pembroke, which was being converted into 14 apartments, 11 of which had been sold.

He also bought the Molly Malone restaurant, Pembroke, in 2007, and also took over the Prince of Wales pub, Pembroke, and the Bush Tavern, Pembroke Dock.

“It begged the question,” said Mr Davies, “where all the money was coming from.”

Officials also discovered a mortgage application which stated that Francis made £50,431 a year and his wife Sylvia £50,250.

“That came as a complete surprise,” added Mr Davies.

prince of wales Francis was interviewed by officials and still maintained he had no assets, income, pensions or savings, even though it was already known at that stage that he had been a director of six companies.

When told it could be proved he had banked £2.1m in four bank accounts alone between 2005 and 2012 “he just laughed.”

Mr Davies said to this day Francis had not provided the DWP with “a single document” and the department still awaited some sort of profit and loss account.

But, he stressed, it was not important whether Francis had been a successful businessman or not. He had been under a clear obligation to disclose income, irrespective of where it came from.

Francis’ barrister, James Hartson, said he was now £1m in debt. Most of the properties he owned were in negative equity and the courts had already issued a restraining order controlling £55,000 in assets.

That order, he said, would easily meet the £39,420 Francis still owed the DWP.

He described Francis as well thought of in the business community.

Judge Paul Thomas told rancis, “The case against you was overwhelming. There were several properties and businesses and it is inconceivable that you should be entitled to state benefits paid for by the rest of us.

“You are greedy and dishonest.”

Francis was jailed for nine months, but the sentence was suspended for 12 months because of his age, the state of his health, his lack of previous offending and his guilty pleas.

He was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work for the community.

Mr Davies said the DWP would ask Francis to pay a minimum of £1,200 in costs at a future hearing.

Community

Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity

Published

10 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.

Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.

The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.

Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.

Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.

(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

18 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Community

Restoration of a pond hopes to support biodiversity in Pembrokeshire

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

Tom Sinclair

AN OLD millpond at the heart of the Wallis and Ambleston community, and a site of Special Scientific Interest, has now been improved to benefit water quality and increase biodiversity in an area of South Wales, thanks to funding from Nestlé Waters UK.

Wallis Pond was created in 1836 as part of the tributary of the Wester Cleddau River to supply water to a local mill. Back in 1978, it was restored and later re-opened by HRH King Charles III, the then Prince of Wales.

Over the years, the pond had become completely silted up, restricting the waters passage and the pond’s ability to retain water, resulting in a reduced diversity of habitat in and around the millpond.

Pembrokeshire County Council, Heavyside Landscapes and Nestlé Waters UK have come together to restore the millpond with regulatory guidance from Natural Resources Wales and support from the Ambleston Community Council.

The project saw the pond re-dug and de-silted, and the old sluice gate replaced to re-establish the millpond. With the pond now able to hold more water, it is hoped to help build resilience to the increased frequency and intensity of storm events, alleviating the risk of flooding in the local area.

Retention of flows in the pond for a longer time should help reduce silt build-up and prevent nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates from travelling downstream in the Cleddau catchment, helping to protect water quality, improve aquatic habitats, and encourage eels, otters, damselflies, and other wildlife species.

Restoration of Wallis Pond is one of the projects that Nestlé Waters is working on as part of its efforts to help regenerate local water cycles and create a positive water impact everywhere the company operates.

Matthew Faulkner, Factory Manager at the Nestlé Waters site in Princes Gate, said: “We are proud to be a part of the Wallis Pond restoration work, aimed at delivering long-lasting benefits in Pembrokeshire, where we bottle at source Princes Gate and Nestlé Pure Life waters. This beautiful landscape is not only our home, but also home to some incredible flora and fauna which are vital for keeping the area rich and thriving in biodiversity.

“We’re working hard to protect this land and the water beneath our feet. Water is a shared resource and a shared responsibility, and caring for it takes the whole community. That’s why we’re grateful to be working with partners on this project that will hopefully have a positive impact on the local ecosystem and community.”

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services at the Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “We welcome this funding to enhance the biodiversity in Wallis Pond which can be enjoyed by the residents of Ambleston, the wider communities in Pembrokeshire and the visitors to our fantastic county.

“This is an excellent example of partnership working that has significant benefits for the environment and the wellbeing of generations to come.”

Eirian Forrest, Clerk at the Ambleston Community Council, said: “We are grateful to Nestlé Waters UK for the funding and wish to thank everyone who has been involved in this project, especially the Pembrokeshire County Council team, for pushing the project forwards.

“The Community Council are delighted that the work has finally been done and look forward to the positive impact it will have on biodiversity. We have already received many positive comments from members of the community. The improved pond encourages locals to take a walk around the area, as well as sit down to watch and enjoy the wildlife.”