News
Sentencing begins for cocaine gang

SIX Pembrokeshire people are being sentenced at Swansea Crown Court today (June 23) for their roles in a huge cocaine conspiracy.
They were involved in shipping £1m worth of the class A drug into the area until they were caught by local detectives in Operation Pigeon.
Leigh Salter, aged 37, of Steynton Road, Milford Haven and James Bolton, 48, of Kiln Road, Johnson, Haverfordwest, played leading roles, said Robin Rouch, the barrister leading the prosecution.
They worked with drug suppliers from Liverpool but before he was arrested Salter had gone on to set up a quite separate conspiracy buying cocaine from Swansea.

Awaiting sentence: Leigh Salter, 37
Salter and Bolton, plus Bolton’s then partner Siobhan Jackson, 39, also of Kiln Road, and Andrew Davies, 54, of Hill Street, Haverfordwest, had admitted conspiring with others to supply cocaine between September 1, 2012, and April 22, 2015.
Richard Conroy, 48, of Cherry Tree Close, Milford Haven, admitted “laundering” £1,500 in cash knowing or believing it represented the proceeds of criminal activity.
David Parker, aged 41, of Skomer Drive, Milford Haven, admitted conspiring with Salter to take cocaine from Swansea to Pembrokeshire.

Guilty of money laundering: Richard Conroy
Adam Idris, 33, of Grove Dale Road, Liverpool, and Adam Woodhouse, 34, of Weaver Close, Alsager, Staffordshire, admitted the main conspiracy charge.
Dannielle Maloney, 36, of Dovedale Road, Liverpool, and John Foster, 34, of Tiverton Road, Liverpool, admitted money laundering.
Mr Rouch said during Operation Pigeon detectives installed a secret listening device inside Bolton’s Station Automotives firm in Milford Haven.

Admitted dealing: James Bolton and Siobhan Jackson
They also logged mobile telephone traffic, car movements and money transfers and in all were able to identify 43 drug runs, although after his arrest Woodhouse alone confessed to at least 60.
It became clear, said Mr Rouch, that Salter and Bolton were the “main players” locally and that Idris was the supplier and Woodhouse the main courier.
When police moved in to make arrests they made finds that suggested half a kilo of cocaine, worth £30,000, were being shipped each time.
The listening device picked up Bolton and Jackson discussing delivery routes and changing mobile telephones.
And Jackson was followed to Liverpool.
Mr Rouch said Operation Pigeon soon became intertwined with another drugs operation that involved Idris supplying cocaine from Liverpool to the Stoke-on-Trent area.
Despite being arrested in connection with that crime and granted police bail Idris continued to supply drugs to Pembrokeshire.
Bolton, the court heard, had been convicted in 2010 of possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
By the end of Thursday’s hearing the judge, Judge Paul Thomas, had listened to mitigation on behalf of most of the defendants.
Bolton, he was told, had been traumatised at the age of three when his father killed his mother and at the time of his arrest was leading such a chaotic lifestyle he was positively relieved to be caught and put into custody.
Jackson was no longer in a relationship with Bolton.
Davies made £700 by acting as a drugs courier on four occasions.
And Parker had been caught the one and only time he had agreed to collect a package from Swansea and deliver it to Salter.
Judge Thomas said he would sentence the defendants on Friday.
But he told Conroy he fell into a different category and agreed to sentence him there and then.
Conroy, who fits burglar alarms and fire alarms as a job, was made the subject of a 12 month community order and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for the community and to pay £500 prosecution costs.
Crime
Goodwick man jailed for stealing prescription tablets from partner

A 47-year-old man from Goodwick has been sentenced to jail after admitting to stealing his partner’s prescription medication.
Andrew Gibbs, of Allt Y Carne, appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he admitted taking four Pregabalin tablets from his long-term girlfriend on February 14.
Prosecuting, Alycia Carpanini told the court that Gibbs had taken the tablets while drinking in the living room earlier that day. He was arrested later that evening on unrelated matters, and officers found the medication in his possession.
During his arrest, Gibbs admitted aloud to police that he had stolen the tablets. He later confirmed the theft in a prepared statement during interview.
The court heard that Gibbs has a lengthy criminal history, with 35 previous convictions covering 68 offences. He had previously faced a series of serious allegations, including actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation against his partner, as well as two further assaults. However, those charges were dropped after the complainants chose not to support the prosecution.
In mitigation, defence barrister Dan Griffiths said his client had been cooperative with police from the outset and had already spent time in custody since his arrest.
Judge Paul Thomas KC imposed a 14-day custodial sentence for the theft, acknowledging the time Gibbs had already spent on remand. He will be released shortly under supervision.
Community
PCSOs and pupils join forces for Pembroke Dock litter pick

DYFED-POWYS POLICE Community Support Officers (PCSOs) 8042 and 8020 joined staff at McDonald’s and Year 5 and 6 pupils from Cosheston VC School for a community litter pick around Pembroke Dock.
As part of the school’s ongoing environmental project, the pupils helped collect seven bags of rubbish while keeping a detailed log of the types of litter found.
PCSOs are uniformed civilian members of police staff who work to support regular police officers and engage with the community. Their involvement helped promote positive relationships between local police and young people.
The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of looking after the local environment and encouraged children to take pride in their community.
Members of the public are reminded to dispose of their waste responsibly and use the bins provided.

Community
Joyce Watson meets apprentices at Haverfordwest transport hub

A VISIT to the site of the new Haverfordwest public transport interchange has highlighted the role of apprentices and skilled workers in delivering the major infrastructure project.
Joyce Watson MS, who represents Mid and West Wales in the Senedd, toured the construction site on Friday (Mar 21), meeting with workers and hearing how the scheme is creating opportunities for local people.
Mrs Watson, who chairs the Senedd cross-party group on construction and co-chairs the cross-party group on apprenticeships, was briefed on progress by Kier Construction’s project manager Dean Williams and Sheila Holmes, engagement adviser for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Speaking following the visit, Mrs Watson said: “The Haverfordwest public transport interchange will transform the town’s transportation infrastructure and boost the local economy.
“With around a year’s work still to go, it’s already offering high-quality job opportunities, and I was delighted to meet the talented apprentices working on-site.”
Among those she met was Matthew Thomas, a local trainee working on the project.
Mrs Watson added: “It was a pleasure to meet Matthew, and I believe he has a great future ahead of him.”
Dean Williams, from Kier Construction, said: “It was great to welcome Joyce Watson MS for a tour of our Haverfordwest public transport interchange project. This scheme for Pembrokeshire County Council will deliver a modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”
CITB’s Sheila Holmes added: “We are pleased to be supporting Kier Construction in developing their supply chain for this infrastructure scheme. By doing so, we can invest in local skills, which are vital to the sector and to the regional economy. Projects like this help ensure we meet future skills demands.”
The interchange is part of the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro programme and has so far received nearly £17 million from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.
Once completed, the new facility will include improved pedestrian and cycle access, a more efficient bus station with seven bays and upgraded passenger facilities, and a modern multi-storey car park.
The scheme is commissioned by Pembrokeshire County Council as part of its town centre regeneration strategy.
The visit was organised as part of Open Doors, a national initiative by Build UK that takes visitors behind the scenes at live construction sites to showcase the range of careers in the industry.
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