News

Meat unfit for human consumption turned into £276,000 worth of ‘smokies’

Published

9 years ago

December 23, 2015

THE OPERATORS of livestock markets in west Wales have been warned by a judge today they are “skirting with the law” if they pretend not to know they are dealing with illegal food traders.

The warning came as Robert Gordon Thomas, 39, was sentenced for blowtorching old sheep fit only for the pet food industry and turning them into £276,000 worth of “smokies.”

Smokies, Swansea Crown Court heard on Wednesday (Dec 23), were considered to be a delicacy by Africans living in London.

Thomas, now of Nant y Croi, Ferwig, near Cardigan, blowtorched the carcases and turned £25 ewes into smokies worth between £80 and £150 each.

Huw Rees, prosecuting, said Thomas had not produced any accounts—not even a single bank account—and “may be hiding his money elsewhere.”

But it was known he had bought sheep that were either old or of poor quality at livestock markets in Dolgellau and Welshpool and may have dealt in up to 2,300 sheep.

He was operating, said Mr Rees, on behalf of Julian Jones, who was wanted for prosecution but who had fled to Columbia in south America.

Judge Paul Thomas said he would found it “unusual and surprising if the markets were not aware of local gossip” about who was involved in the smokies trade.

“If they think they can hide behind a lack of co-operation I hope at some point someone will disabuse them of that notion.

“Those responsible for these markets are skirting with complicity in these offences,” he added.

Mr Rees said the offending took place at Trecagal farm at Bangor Teifi, near Llandysul. The farm was owned by Julian Jones but run by Thomas.

Jones, said Mr Rees, had a long history with smokies and was currently banned from having anything to do with animals.

To get around the ban Jones had needed others to help him.

Environmental health officers who raided the farm found sawn off sheep legs scattered around, even into woods and rivers.

Thomas, said Mr Rees, had supplied Jones with the smokies.

Questioned about the scale of the operation, Thomas had produced either no accounts or only “fanciful” accounts which made it impossible to be sure as to how much profit had been made.

Judge Thomas said he would impose a financial penalty—and respond to a prosecution request for £32,000 in costs—on January 29 by when he expected to see four years of bank accounts. If Thomas did not produce them “I will drew the necessary inferences.”

Mr Rees said Jones had made the most profit, but he was outside the jurisdiction of the court.

Mr Rees said the supply of smokies caused harm to the environment, risked the food poisoning of anyone who ate them, and tarnished the image of honest farmers.

Thomas had been convicted twice before of contravening environmental laws—once for running a private, unlicensed slaughter house and once for burning cars to recover scrap metal.

Huw Rees Davies, representing Thomas, who admitted conspiring with Jones to contravene the 1990 Food Safety Act, said those who ate smokies were not vulnerable and knew what they were eating.

Thomas, he said, had rented Trecagal from Jones and had fallen behind with the rent. To catch up he had agreed to buy sheep for Jones.

Judge Thomas said he had known that he was dealing in smokies, which posed a health hazard and were “wholly unsuitable for human beings.”

He said he accepted that Jones had been the prime mover, but he could not have done it without the connivance of Thomas.

Judge Thomas said he had a history of ignoring laws when it interfered with him making a “fast buck.”

But he would give him “one final chance to stay out of custody.”

Thomas was jailed for 28 weeks, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for the community.

Judge Thomas said he would deal with the financial consequences of his offending on January 29.

Business

Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.

***There is a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties***

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

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.

***There were protests outside MacDonald’s house in September 2024 (Pic: Herald)***

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

Published

8 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.