News
Bryn won’t get my cash!
I’ll do time before paying council tax bill, says ex-commando
A HAVERFORDWEST MAN has told The Herald that he would rather serve time in prison than pay his council tax demands from Pembrokeshire County Council.Ex-Army Commando Mark Llewhellin, 39, of Catherine’s Gate, Merlin’s Bridge says that he is refusing to pay because of cuts in vital services and council staff pay, for key workers, including many of hisfriends.
Mr Llewhellin, who in 2001 broke a world-record in running, said:
“I think that council boss Bryn Parry Jones is a bully. Seven people who are my friends, who work for the council, told me that he sent a memo around to staff ordering them not speak to him unless he speaks to them first.”
The ex-body guard and personalfitness trainer added: “He has lost track of his true job role, which is as a servant of the people, not the dictator of the county.”
“Why should I pay money to Pembrokeshire County Council when they have agreed to allow Bryn Parry Jones to avoid paying tax on his pension scheme?”
“There should not be one rule for him and another for us.”
Mark Llewhellin said
“Thomas Jefferson principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States once said
‘If a law in unjust a man is not only right to disobey it he is obligated to do so’.
He added:
“If they put me in prison this will cost more than I owe in council tax. It will be a complete waste of the people’s money. I have been in the toughest prison in the United Kingdom, The Glasshouse in Colchester. Going to Colchester after coming off the All Arms Commando Course was like Butlin’s to me. Going to a normal prison will be like going on holiday in Disneyland.”
The Herald asked Mr. Llewhellin about the possibility of the council employing bailiffs to take away and sell his personal possessions. But, Mr.
Llewhellin told our reporter:
“I have a Mazda RX8 with a private plate, an Armani watch, and a brand new mountain bike. I have Honda CBR1100 motorcycle and £77 in cash. This all adds up to £7,000 worth of assets.”
“I have decided to give away all of these possessions in a competition to take place in the near future. Once these possessions have been given away, there will be nothing for any council bailiff to take away and sell.”
Mr. Llewhellin concluded:
“I feel that the main role of a Chief Executive in a county is that you must be kind to people, and you must be down to earth and be able to relate to people from all walks of life.”
Mr. Llewhellin currently organises charity running events around the world. A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman said “Customers should not refuse to pay their Council Tax. There is a statutory recovery process prescribed by the Welsh Government. Persistent default will result in a summons to appear in Magistrates Court and can result in the imposition of additional costs of approximately £63. If the debt remains unpaid the regulations allow magistrates to consider a custodial sentence.”
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”
SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION
As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.
Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.
“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”
ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS
An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.
“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.
The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”
GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES
The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.
The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.
The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.
Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.
During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.
MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.
Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.
Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.
Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.
MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
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gez george
December 12, 2013 at 12:24 pm
At last a brave man who will speak for us. Yes Bryn Parry does not allow staff to speak to him unless they are spoken to first. He gave himself a payrise which is higher then the prime minister. He is an evil person and I hope he will be exposed.