Pure cocaine found in van with faulty light

Published

9 years ago

February 16, 2016

Swansea Crown Court

POLICE who stopped a van in Aberaeron because it had a faulty light found a fugitive on the run, cocaine worth £21,000, £2,700 in cash and a banned driver.

Philip Malcolm Robinson, aged 43, had just bought 54 grams of cocaine at an “importation” level of purity.

Robinson admitted possessing the drugs but denied intending to sell them on. He was found guilty unanimously after a trial at Swansea Crown Court.

The jury heard how police stopped a Vauxhall van on the A487 on April 16 last year.

Robinson gave a false name but officers decided to search the van.

They found 54 grams of cocaine at a purity level of 70% which could have fetched £21,600 on the streets.

They also discovered Robinson’s real name and that he had absconded before he could be sentenced for an offence of wounding.

And he was banned from driving.

Mr Ibrahim said the £2,700 appeared to belong to Robinson’s passenger.

Robinson told the jury he had bought drugs from a dealer in Aberaeron because he knew it would be “good stuff.”

He said he had paid £600 for the drugs but still owed the dealer a further £2,000.

Robinson claimed he would have snorted the drug at 70% strength but DC Rhodri Treharne said users usually consumed cocaine at between 5% and 17% purity.

Robinson, from Rumney in Cardiff, said he bought from a dealer in Aberaeron because his partner lived in Newcastle Emlyn and he would combine a drugs run with a visit to her.

After the guilty verdict, Robinson was jailed for three years.

Judge Paul Thomas told him he had known the risks involved.

“You knew you would go to prison for a long time if you were caught.

“You took a gamble and it did not come off. Obviously, you thought the risk was worth it and now you have to pay for it,” he added.

Car crashes into house in St Davids

Published

7 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Tom Sinclair

EMERGENCY services were called after a car crashed into a house on Nun Street in St Davids on Thursday (Apr 24).

Dyfed-Powys Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene at around 4:35pm following reports of a single-vehicle collision.

On arrival, they found that a car had collided with a residential property. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

The road remained open while the vehicle was recovered.

A spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Dyfed-Powys Police attended a report of a single-vehicle road traffic collision where a car collided with a property on Nun Street, St Davids, at around 4:35pm yesterday. No injuries were reported, and the road remained open while the vehicle was recovered.”

Community

Milford Haven and Neyland Police issue appeal for missing man

Published

8 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are appealing for information to help locate a 54-year-old man who has been reported missing from the Milford Haven area.

Neil is described as being around 6ft 2in tall with a shaved head. He has tattoos on his arms and one of his fingers, and sometimes wears glasses.

He was last seen on Friday afternoon (Apr 26) wearing a black Superdry hoodie, ripped jeans, and orange and black Nike Air trainers. Neil is believed to be on foot.

Anyone with information that could help is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police: 🖥️ | Online portal
📧 | [email protected]
📞 | Call 101, quoting reference 262 of April 26.

Community

Fire service delivers vital kit to Ukraine

Published

13 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Wales joins UK’s largest firefighting aid convoy

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) has taken part in the UK’s largest ever convoy delivering vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine, joining 17 other Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) from across the country.

The convoy, coordinated by FIRE AID and supported by the UK Government, left the UK in early April. It travelled through France, Germany and Poland, delivering over 30 fire service vehicles and more than 15,000 items of equipment to support Ukrainian firefighters on the front line of the ongoing war.

Since the Russian invasion in 2022, UK fire services have donated 119 vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine. Each participating service ensured local needs were met before donating surplus kit.

Watch Manager Rob Kershaw represented MAWWFRS on the convoy. He said:
“It’s been a privilege to be part of this convoy and to represent both FIRE AID and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
We received invaluable support and assistance from fire and police services across every country we passed through. Their help in coordinating, escorting, and hosting the convoy was outstanding.”

Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM added:
“MAWWFRS is proud to support our colleagues in Ukraine by donating and delivering essential equipment.
The events in Ukraine have deeply affected the fire and rescue community, and this convoy is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to helping those still working under extreme conditions.”

The donated equipment will support firefighters in Ukraine who continue to operate in war zones to save lives and protect property—often at great personal risk. Since the conflict began, 100 Ukrainian firefighters have been killed and 431 injured. A total of 411 fire stations and 1,700 firefighting vehicles have been destroyed.