A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been sentenced by magistrates after stealing three packets of chicken from The Food Warehouse.

Marion Picton, 45, was seen by store staff removing three packs, each weighing 1.7kg, from the shelves of the Milford Haven store on April 10.

“She was about to leave the store with the chicken but she was spoken to by the staff and all the items were recovered,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“They went back for resale so there is no claim for compensation.”

Ms James described Picton as ‘no stranger to the courts’. In November 2023 she served a custodial sentence for a previous conviction of theft.

Picton, of Hawthorn Path, Mount Estate, Milford Haven pleaded guilty to theft. She was fined £40 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £16 court surcharge.

A MOTORIST was in court this week for giving police officers false information concerning his identity before driving off at high speed through red traffic lights with a front seat passenger and two babies strapped in the rear of his vehicle.

Lewis Palmer, 22, was stopped by officers on March 3 as he drove his Seat Ateca along Pembroke Road, Pembroke Dock.

“In the back were two very young children,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week. “One was four months old and the other was 14 months. In the front was his partner.”

Magistrates were shown body-worn footage in which Palmer could be heard telling the officer on several occasions that his name was Jordan. Subsequent checks carried out by the officer revealed that the information he had given was false, but when Palmer was questioned about this, drove off at a high speed.

“By now the passenger had unbuckled herself and was tending to the two babies in the back,” said Nia James. “So when the defendant drove off, she was unstrapped

“The officer had to step away to avoid impact and the defendant screeched off at high speed. He drove towards the traffic lights on Ferry Lane, and other motor vehicles had to stop to avoid a collision.

“There was only one reason that he drove off, and that was to avoid the police.”

Ms James informed magistrates that Palmer had already been disqualified by a court sitting at Aberdeen in May of this year, after being convicted of dangerous driving.

This week Palmer pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, obstructing a police constable in the execution of her duty, driving on a public road without third party insurance and failing to stop when required to do so by an officer.

After considering the facts, magistrates requested a full probation report before sentencing. Palmer was released on unconditional bail and will reappear before magistrates on December 10.

An interim disqualification was imposed.

DYFED-POWYS POLICE’S Chief Constable, Dr Richard Lewis, has issued a strongly-worded statement to Haverfordwest Magistrates in relation to the growing number of physical and verbal assaults carried out on police officers.

“Police officers and police staff are people,” he said. “They are fathers,mothers, sons and daughters and when they are attacked, they become victims, just like everyone else. But they are victims who are trying to help and protect society.”

Dr Lewis said that in 2024, no fewer than 175 assaults have already been committed against on-duty officers in the Dyfed-Powys Police force division, resulting in the loss of 363 sickness days.

Chief Constable Lewis’ statement was presented to Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday after 22-year-old Hope Phillips of Coach House, Cartlett, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker by beating in the early hours of November 1.

Police officers had been called to the County Hall car park in Freemans Way, Haverfordwest, where other officers were attempting to restrain a male.

“The defendant was trying to get in the officer’s way and when she was asked to stand back she grabbed [the officer] by the arms and slapped her to the face,” said Crown Prosecutor, Nia James.

In a statement read out to the court, the officer said her left cheek had been slapped by Phillips, resulting in an ‘immediate sting’.

“It shocked me,” she said. “I didn’t expect to be assaulted and it took me by surprise how quickly the situation escalated. It left me feeling disappointed.”

Meanwhile Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis said that an increasing number of officers are putting themselves ‘in harm’s way’ as they attempt to safeguard the public.

“All too often police are subjected to assaults, and the impact on society never changes,” he said. “But it’s never acceptable to assume that assaults on police officers should be accepted.”
Chief Constable Lewis said the assaults are impacting on the officers’ physical and emotional wellbeing, as well as their professional and personal morale.

Meanwhile a probation report read out to the court said that Phillips was heavily intoxicated at the time of the offence and has no idea how she ended up in the County Hall car park.

“When she discovered what had happened, she was horrified and now wants to express her remorse for what happened,” said the probation officer.

This was endorsed by Phllips’ solicitor, Jess Hill.

“The defendant had spent the evening celebrating Halloween at a friend’s house, but unfortunately this was how it all ended,” she said. “This has been a wake up call for her and has scared her.”

Philips, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to a 12 month community order, during which she must carry out ten rehabilitation activity requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work. This was uplifted from 80 hours because her victim was an emergency worker. She was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the officer, £85 costs and a £114 court surcharge.