News

Council’s care cut slammed by union

Published

10 years ago

April 19, 2016

UNISON has hit out at Pembrokeshire County Council and urged them to reconsider proposals to relinquish the lease on Perrot’s Lodge upon its expiry.

Closure of the facility will lead to further job losses and a severe impact on families who rely on respite care. Perrot’s Lodge is a purpose built facility to provide respite care in the county, dealing mainly with dementia for people of all ages.

If the closure goes ahead, the council claims that future demand can be met by the Council’s two remaining homes, Havenhurst, Milford Haven and Hillside in Goodwick and through the independent sector.

Hillside is currently being refurbished and this is due to be completed at the end of April.

Perrot’s Lodge is registered to provide interim and respite care for up to eight people but does not offer long term placements.

In a report presented to the Older Persons’ Oversight and Scrutiny Committee last month, Director for Social Services and Leisure, Pam Marsden, said that over the last few years demand for respite care in a residential setting had reduced.

The Council leases Perrot’s Lodge from the Pembrokeshire Housing Association at a cost of £60,000 a year while the net budget for the facility for 2016 – 2017 is £350,000.

While UNISON understands the budget pressures that the council is under, the union believes that further cuts in social services are not the answer.

At time of writing, UNISON has not been provided with a copy of the review of Perrot’s Lodge illustrating evidence for its closure.

The Herald broke the news of the Home’s then temporary closure last year and revealed that the closure had taken place without scrutiny of that decision by councillors. In fact, senior members of the Older Persons Scrutiny Committee had not even been informed of the County Council’s decision to shut the facility.

Chairperson of Pembrokeshire County UNISON Branch Janet Wyer said: “UNISON will continue to fight against cuts to services, job losses and outsourcing. The existing staff are highly experienced, with considerable expertise in providing the respite that carer’s need in order for them to be able to have a break. We urge the authority to work in partnership with the union to find alternate ways of delivering savings. We have cut services to the bone, staff are demoralised and highly stressed. There is little evidence that outsourcing services saves money, yet plenty that illustrates that care standards suffer at the expense of profit.”

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

5 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

27 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

33 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.