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Pembroke Dock: Fairbrass closing in on 100…and out every time

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swansea crown courtA PEMBROKESHIRE man is closing in on 100 criminal convictions.

Richard Fairbrass appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (Jul 24) to be sentenced for his 96th, 97th and 98th offence.

He admitted assaulting an acting police sergeant and to threatening to kill a sergeant and his family.
Fairbrass, aged 52, became involved in a scuffle with another man inside the Prince of Wales pub in Pembroke Dock on April 1.
Police responded and used CS spray to part the men and calm the situation, but in the process Fairbrass punched acting sergeant Sean Doble in his face.
After his arrest and while he was being driven to a police station, Fairbrass became “extremely abusive, ranting and raving and swearing at the police.”
But the ranting turned more sinister when he asked about Sgt Hamish Nicholls, who was not involved in his arrest or even on duty.
He threatened to kill him, and said, “Lock me in a cell with him and I will be the only one to walk out.”
Fairbrass said he knew Sgt Nicholls’ wife was a serving officer and that they had three children. “When I find out where she and the children live I will kill them as well,” he said.
The court heard that Sgt Nicholls became concerned to discover that Fairbrass was aware of his family’s make up.
Judge Peter Heywood, the sentencing judge, was also told that Fairbrass already had 95 previous convictions to his name, including one for a threat to kill for which he received a three year jail sentence.
And he was in breach of a conditional discharge for obstructing a police officer.
Dyfed Thomas, the barrister representing Fairbrass, said he had been drunk and made “foolish, nasty remarks while in the back of a police car.”
He had never intended to carry out any of the threats.
Mr Thomas said Fairbrass lived in the locality and had children and grandchildren within the community.
Judge Heywood told Fairbrass, “You had been on the pop and made drunken but sinister remarks.
“The drink was in and the wit was out. You have been in trouble for most of your life, although your offending has been falling away in recent years,” he added.
Fairbrass, whose bail address was given as in Cornwall, was jailed for two months for the assault and 12 months for the threats to kill, making a total of 14 months.
2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. sjb

    July 26, 2015 at 10:23 pm

    100 convictions? he should take a few lessons from our councillors 0 because they’re honest of course, upstanding citizens!

  2. Adam John

    July 28, 2015 at 1:27 am

    Maybe a ‘3 strikes and you’re out’ policy needs adopting? Idiots like this would be taken off the streets years ago.

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Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

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THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

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Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

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CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.

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Business

Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite

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UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.


The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.

Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.

Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”

For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.

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