News

Hospital records blunder did not cause death

Published

9 years ago

February 23, 2016

Inquest: Milford Haven Town Hall • Pic: Gareth Thomas

AN INQUEST into the death of 49-year-old Peter Francis Jones from Holloway in Haverfordwest was held at the Coroner’s Court in Milford Haven on Tuesday (Feb 2).

Acting Coroner’s Officer Gareth Warlow said that Mr Jones had never been married, but had one son.

The deceased had attended Milford Haven Central School and went on to work in electrical shops for the majority of his life. Before he opened his own business – Connect Appliance Repairs in Haverfordwest – in 1995, Mr Jones was a heavy drinker. The opening of his shop however saw his issue with alcohol come to a halt.

As Mr Jones got older, his health deteriorated and problems with his spine meant that he was in and out of hospital and prescribed Morphine.

In the last few months of his life, Mr Jones’ family and friends noticed that his stomach began to swell.

On May 15, 2015, Mr Jones collapsed while in Haverfordwest and was taken to Withybush Hospital. He had consumed a large amount of alcohol, he had vomited and he was unresponsive.

As there were no beds available at Withybush, so Mr Jones was transferred to Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli. He was then transferred back to Withybush some days later.

Discharged on May 22, Mr Jones was told that he would receive a letter to attend an ultra-sound appointment to diagnose the swelling of his stomach. Due to the fact he was unhappy with his treatment, Mr Jones put in a letter of complaint to the hospital.

On May 26, Mr Jones went to see his doctor because he was concerned about his swollen stomach. He was told to change his lifestyle and to wait for the ultra-sound appointment. The doctor also prescribed Mr Jones anti-depressants and gave him pain relief.

That evening, Mr Jones went to bed as normal with his close friend, whom he was staying with. When she woke at 6am, she noticed that Mr Jones’ breathing was raspy, before it became erratic. She checked his pupils to find that they were very small and therefore called the emergency services.

Mr Jones was taken to A&E, where his health deteriorated, and he was pronounced dead at 7.10am on Wednesday, May 27.

Mr Jones’ mother, Margaret Jones, spoke at the inquest. She discussed the fact that she was unhappy that her son arrived at Prince Philip Hospital with no medical papers, so doctors were only able to deal with the situation based on what they were told and what was before them.

Mrs Jones also handed pictures over to the coroner to highlight her son’s swelling.

Daniel Hauser, who conducted a postmortem of Mr Jones’ body on May 28, spoke at the Coroner’s Court.

Mr Hauser said that Mr Jones was “very healthy person for his age.” He said that there were no major concerns while he conducted the external exam and commented that there were no signs of swelling.

He added that there was nothing out of the ordinary inside Mr Jones’ body as his body was in “very good condition” with “no major findings.”

Mr Hauser then read out a toxicology report, which highlighted the presence of Morphine and Diazepam.

He read that the level of morphine was of a concentration which had caused death in past cases and said the combination with Diazepam could have contributed to his death.

He said: “The postmortem revealed no obvious cause of death I would be happy to give as a cause of death, but the statement of the toxicology report reads that the level of Morphine has been associated with fatality. I believe it was the combined effect of drugs which caused his death.”

Coroner Gareth Lewis came to the conclusion that Mr Jones’ death was drug related and stated that while his parents were rightly concerned about his swelling, it did not cause his death.

Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

Published

39 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand. Despite these measures, the terminal remains overwhelmed by the volume of traffic.

From our position at the terminal, we have captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion. The atmosphere is one of both frustration and resilience as passengers await their departures.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

1 hour ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

Published

2 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”