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£500 fine a small price to pay for the truth, says Editor

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Thomas Sinclair: Outside Llanelli Magistrates' Court (pic. Alan Evans)

Thomas Sinclair: Outside Llanelli Magistrates’ Court (pic. Alan Evans)

THE EDITOR of The Pembrokeshire Herald has been fined for naming a youth in a court report.

At Llanelli Magistrates’ Court today (Oct 6), Thomas Sinclair, age 37, was fined £500 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs for an article which published the name of a fishing boat captain who crashed his vessel in 2015.

The article breached the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

The case had been adjourned from September, when the CPS were asked to re-consider if the case should continue in light of representations from Sinclair’s lawyer that Milford Haven Port Authority, who had prosecuted the captain had made a similar breach of the law.

They had named the youth’s place of work, also a breach of the same Act of Parliament.

The judge told Sinclair that his approach had been cavalier and that this was a serious matter.

Speaking after the case, Sinclair of Hamilton Terrace, Milford Haven said: “I have been fined £500 today for naming the captain of a fishing vessel who crashed it after falling asleep at the wheel.

“Although the publication of the defendants’s name was made in error, it remains my view that it was in the public interest that he should have been named.

“Further, the youth who was named, had no objection to being named.

“That captain was just under the age of eighteen, and therefore legally should not have been named in the report in The Pembrokeshire Herald. However, no harm was done. As highlighted in today’s case the captain was already known to all.

“I fully respect that reporting restrictions are in place to protect the vulnerable; but this is not one of those cases.

“The decision the CPS made to bring the case to court genuinely baffled me.

“I was happy that my barrister was able to highlight that before the Pembrokeshire Herald was launched, that court reporting in west Wales was on the wane.

“The Herald has forced our competitors to employ more journalists, to report on more cases, and to show the public that justice is being done.

Mr Sinclair concluded: “We have to, as a newspaper push the boundaries on what can be reported, a free and fair press is the cornerstone of democracy.”

“£500 is a small price to pay for the truth.”

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Name Supplied

    October 6, 2016 at 8:10 pm

    This really is quite horrendous – media law is media law and, in relation to youths in court, it is there for a reason. The reasons listed for breaching reporting restrictions are non reasons and are no defence. It is an appalling example to set to younger journalists.

  2. Pembrokeshire Knight

    October 6, 2016 at 8:14 pm

    The law is the law, its not acceptable to break it because you think its stupid or irrelevant. Herald has lost some respect IMO.

  3. Charlie Mapp

    October 6, 2016 at 10:32 pm

    Typical self righteous “journalist”

  4. Ben

    October 6, 2016 at 10:46 pm

    Um. Confused. Thought he originally quivered in his defence he didn’t realise he was reporting the name in contravention of law. And now after the event it turns out our heroic “journalist” was wilfully forcing back the boundaries of law to bring his people the truth.

    Plonker.

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Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

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A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

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News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

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THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

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Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

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RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”

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