News

Archaeologists expect to reveal human remains

Published

10 years ago

May 16, 2016

DYFED ARCHAEOLOGICAL Trust are expecting to uncover even more human remains when they do a final dig at the site of an early medieval chapel in Whitesands Bay’s dunes.

Archaeologists have already carried out two excavations at the site of St Patrick’s Chapel on the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park beach, and they expect to reveal more about people living in Wales 1,000 years ago during their final dig.

Almost 50 skeletons dating to the seventh and eleventh centuries have been uncovered. Many were in ‘cist’ graves – long graves lined with stone slabs. Child graves were also found, decorated with layers of quartz pebbles and limpet shells.

This May, Dyfed Archaeological Trust will be excavating again and will conduct free tours every day from May 9-27. National Park Rangers and Voluntary Wardens will help to prepare the site by removing turf and sand.

Ken Murphy, of Dyfed Archaeological Trust, said that bone preservation in the first two digs had been very good and that a significant find was a stone cross standing at the end of one of the graves – the first time in Britain that an upright stone cross had been found in association with a long cist grave.

He added: “Bone analysis by the University of Sheffield will provide information on the diet of the people who are buried at St Patrick’s Chapel, and even on where they were born. The results of the excavation will greatly advance our knowledge of the lives and the beliefs of the people who lived in Wales over 1,000 years ago.”

The excavations are funded by Cadw (Welsh Government), the Nineveh Charitable Trust and the University of Sheffield, and supported by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

The chapel, from where St Patrick is said to have set sail for Ireland in the 5th century AD, was a ruin over 400 years ago but its location has never been forgotten and graves with human remains have regularly been exposed by storms.

Phil Bennett, the National Park Authority’s Culture and Heritage Manager, said: “We placed boulders against the site of the chapel to halt erosion 12 years ago, but they were washed away in the winter storms of 2014, exposing more burials. So we then decided to excavate the parts of the site most vulnerable to erosion and the aim of these digs is to ensure no more archaeology will be at risk for the next 50 years.”

The daily dig tours are free and no booking is necessary. The chapel site lies 50m from the car park at Whitesands Bay. On the weekends of May 14-15 and 21-22, there will be longer guided tours to include a visit to the archaeological remains on nearby St David’s Head.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

15 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

37 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

43 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.