News

Superhero lands in hospital

Published

9 years ago

October 12, 2016

Tom Sinclair

Captain Get Well: Or Captain G to his friends.

A NEW superhero has landed in West Wales to help children and families who may be anxious about a forthcoming visit to hospital.

Captain Get Well, or Captain G for short, features in a friendly video aimed at children attending Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth, Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, and Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest.

The video has been launched by Hywel Dda University Health Board at the end of national Play in Hospital Week, following a host of activities promoting the benefit of play in the NHS.

Directorate Nurse for Children’s Services, Isobel Hall explained: “The video provides children and their families with useful information about what to expect from a hospital stay in a fun, energetic way that we hope will captivate our audience.

“It features our inpatient services as well as paediatric ambulatory care units in each hospital and also the high dependency unit and theatre.

“Our play workers and nurses have ensured the video includes information that we get frequently asked by children and their families – from the treatments and tests that might be carried out to how we help make the environment as friendly and as comfortable as possible. We’ve used the same language they will hear, when we deliver care and visually demonstrated our play and distraction techniques.

“We are really grateful to the families who feature in the video, all of whom are local patients from the three counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.”

The video will be promoted through admission letters provided for children coming into hospital, as well as used on digital screens in hospital waiting areas. Play workers will use the videos when talking to children and families or when they undertake visits to schools and local groups. It will also be promoted through social media.

Head of Communications Yvonne Burson said: “We took on board comments on social media and from parents on the wards about how children can feel anxious about a visit or stay in hospital. At the same time, we often receive lovely feedback from families about how our staff have helped children feel at ease and provided really compassionate care. We wanted to ‘show’ this in action to try and help children understand that hospital is here to help them, and you can even play at the same time.”

The video is available in English and Welsh and is the first video the health board has produced which has subtitles in each language in order to be accessible for children and families with sensory impairments.

The video features Welsh actor Dion Davies, from Llandeilo, whose provides comedy in the role of Captain G, as well as seven-year-old Amelia from Gorslas.

Dion said: “I really enjoyed playing the part of Captain G, it was great fun working with children on the wards and I hope the gift of laughter may help make the whole experience of visiting hospital that bit more enjoyable.”

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

12 hours 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

12 hours 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

12 hours 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.