News

Committee’s concerns over library

Published

11 years ago

May 28, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Riverside Market: Issues need to be addressed.

MEMBERS of the Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee have recommended that the Cabinet address a number of issues before making a decision on a new County Library.

It is proposed to turn the Haverfordwest Market into a county library but this has come under opposition from current traders.

The committee met on Tuesday (May 12), to hear the views of two of the traders in the market as well as those of a representative of the Pembrokeshire Business Initiative and the Chamber of Commerce.

Proposals were approved at a recent Cabinet meeting in April but they also recommended that the Economy committee should take a further look at the proposals.

Director of Development Stephen Jones again stressed that they were ‘not in the business of putting businesses out of business’ and added: “It has been three and a half years since the county library shut. It has been a lengthy period and that has had a damaging effect on the performance of the library service.”

Cllr Mike John said: “To get it in the town the centre will be very valuable.”

Cllr David Lloyd said: “I am very happy to hear what is going to be put in place and I am convinced that this is necessary. The best protection should be put in place. The centre of town is an obvious place for us to start, the location is outstanding and it is a lovely building. It should be used to the best glory of this town. It’s on a shopping street which needs regeneration and this will help enormously. This is an amazing town with a fabulous history and I would like to think that the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) would enhance that and it is going to be a force. I love this project but do look after the people who are going to be relocated.”

One of the traders, Tonia Williams, the owner of the café in the Riverside Market, told the committee: “The market has been open since 1982. Five businesses have been trading since the opening of the building and are to date, viable businesses providing livelihoods for the majority of people employed. At a meeting in January 2014, we were told that the Riverside Market was not financially viable. Library speculation started in 2015 and that has had a negative impact on the trading of the Riverside Market. Little or no consideration has been given to the market or its traders. I would like to emphasise there has been no guarantees, no support of relocation to market traders up to date.”

Tonia also stated that the building had been the subject of gross neglect of maintenance and that it should be considered.

Another trader, Adrian Williams, who runs the flower shop, said: “I am not against the idea of a library in the centre of town. I am sure as a cultural centre that it may well help the town, my feeling is that it is completely the wrong building to put it in. This seems to be the only element in a masterplan. Kicking off your masterplan by putting the future of 16 businesses in severe threat doesn’t seem to be a great way to go around economic regeneration for the town.”

The Director of Development then highlighted that the council would provide support for the traders but Tonia questioned him saying: “I don’t know what qualifies you to know what is best for our individual businesses. I don’t know where the guarantees are from.”

Cabinet Member Cllr Elywn Morse said: “There are a number of issues and I would like to see these explored and an agreement sought as soon as possible. A direct package has to be in place with the agreement of the traders for us to be comfortable for this to move forward.”

The council’s head of property Barry Cooke said that he would be meeting with the traders to discuss their concerns.

Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse said that the issue should be returned to Cabinet and that they take into account the views expressed by the committee and added: “We really must get on with it.”

Those views included the comments of the traders with regards to relocation, the costs of the plan and the masterplan for Haverfordwest.

Cllr Jonathan Nutting said: “I am not confident that the costs are accurate and I think this is biased towards the preferred option. What appears to be the cheapest option could turn out to be by far the most expensive option. We haven’t factored in the costs of having to relocate the traders. We are asking the traders to take a leap of faith and relocate in a highly uncertain future. We’re offering a two-year safety net to the traders but this is highly inadequate and we are prioritising the scheme that could take the longest to come to fruition.”

After a lengthy debate the recommendation was put to a vote with all councillors except Cllr Nutting against the proposal.

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

5 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

5 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

11 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.