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Tragic death of university field trip student at Dale

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West Dale Beach

West Dale Beach

AN INQUEST into the death of a 20-year-old man was held at Milford Haven Town Hall yesterday (Oct 27).

James Thomas Manto, of London, died on May 7 this year; he had been part of a university field trip to Pembrokeshire with Plymouth University. Family members were present at the inquest.

Mr Manto had been staying at Dale Fort; he was found face down and unresponsive on Dale Beach.

In his second year of a geology course, Mr Manto was described as having ‘no concerns and was looking forward to the future’. His mother had been in contact with him on social media while he was in Pembrokeshire; he had told her how he was ‘really enjoying the field trip’.

The night prior to Mr Manto’s death (May 6) marked the final night of the field trip – students and lecturers had arranged to go into the village of Dale for food and drinks.

Statements read by students and lecturers recalled that Mr Manto was ‘highly intoxicated’ on the night leading up to his death the following morning. Members of staff at The Griffin Inn had asked Mr Manto to leave the premises.

Mr Manto was last seen standing outside The Griffin Inn at around 2am (May 7).

By 8.30am that morning, lecturers informed staff at Dale Fort that they had a student missing; the police were also informed.

A search party was launched by police, with the help of RNLI lifeboats and a helicopter search party.
Mr Manto was found by members of the RNLI, with police reporting they had located a missing body at around 11.15am; Mr Manto had suffered severe lacerations.

RNLI crew members attempted to resuscitate Mr Manto for 20 minutes. This was followed by the arrival of a Coastguard vessel carrying a defibrillator, after which crew members attempted a further 10 minutes of CPR. The inquest also heard how ‘attempts were made to inject adrenaline into his groin’.

An Air Ambulance was also called to the scene. A statement by winch man and paramedic Austin Harley was read during the inquest.

Mr Harley recalled how he and other crew members had been ‘instructed to respond’ to the incident following a training exercise; little information had been given other than ‘male with head injury’.

When Mr Harley arrived at the scene, he recalled how several emergency services were already present.

An ambulance had been waiting on the shoreline; however, Mr Harley made the decision that Mr Manto needed to be airlifted to hospital.

He recalled: “On three occasions we were instructed to shock the patient, which we did.”

Mr Manto was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The post mortem report was also read during the inquest, described by Coroner Gareth Lewis as ‘difficult reading’, and therefore only provided relevant details of the report.

The post mortem labelled Mr Manto’s death as ‘unnatural’, adding that he had suffered several injuries included ‘blunt head trauma’ and ‘left rib fractures’, as well as ‘multiple injuries to the head and chest’.

It also suggested that such injuries ‘may have been caused by a fall from height’, and concluded that ‘the cause of death was multiple injuries’.

Mr Matthew Watkinson, a lecturer on the field trip who had known Mr Manto since the start of his course, was called to give a statement during the inquest.

He described Mr Manto as ‘in a group and highly intoxicated’ on the night of May 6.

He recalled: “I saw James leave the pub but didn’t see where he went.”

Coroner Lewis went on to ask Mr Watkinson if the university had learned any lessons for future field trips: “Has the university implemented any procedures?”

Mr Watkinson said how the university had held several meetings between senior staff.

He said: “We looked particularly at how to further encourage students to be responsible regarding alcohol intake.”

Mr Watkinson also added the students would be reminded of their ‘responsibility to one another’.

He added: “I’d specifically briefed the students that afternoon about responsibility and being mindful of the local people.

“In my heart, I wish I’d come across him and was able to bring him home.”

Following his statement, Mr Manto’s mother questioned Mr Watkinson as to why her son had not been escorted home, given his intoxicated state.

Mr Watkinson replied: “My view of James at the time was he was with a large group of students.”

He added: “I didn’t think it was a situation where he’d be a danger to himself.”

Several statements by other students on the field trip were also read. They described Mr Manto as ‘swaying’ and ‘unsteady on his feet’. Commenting on Mr Manto’s character more generally, it was said he was found to be ‘very quiet’ and ‘shy’.

In his concluding statement, Coroner Lewis said: “We can only speculate as to what happened in those last few moments.”

With reference to Mr Manto’s injuries being consistent to those of a heavy fall, Mr Lewis stated the death was ‘accidental’, adding: “James Manto died as a result of an accident.”

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Fiona Manto

    October 30, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Please amend your article. Mr Matthew Watkinson was the lead lecturer, and the witness called at the inquest. I would like his name correctly reported here, and permanently linked with James’ death.
    Thank you.

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Crime

Police issue update following incident at Tenby multi-storey

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Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed this morning that they are investigating a collision on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park in Tenby, at around 4pm on Thursday, January 2.

The collision, police said, involved a grey Nissan Qashqai and a young child.

The child remains in a critical condition in hospital.

The family are being supported by specially trained officers.

One man, aged 33, has been arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving, drink driving, and drug driving. He remains in police custody.

Police issued a statement saying: “This is a tragic incident and is a live investigation.

“We ask that you do not speculate the circumstances and allow our officers to carry out their enquiries.

Anyone with information or dashcam footage that could help officers with their investigation is asked to report it to us, either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

Quote reference 25*6238”

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News

Milford sex offender’s child abuse images ‘most disturbing imaginable’

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A 40-YEAR-OLD man from Pembrokeshire has been sentenced to 22 months in prison after being found with nearly 40,000 indecent images of children, including some of the most disturbing nature imaginable. Jason Church, a father of young children, appeared at Swansea Crown Court where he faced multiple charges related to child exploitation.

The investigation began when police traced suspicious online activity linked to Church’s home in Milford Haven. On August 23, 2023, officers executed a search warrant at his residence, during which Church admitted to having incriminating material on his mobile phone. He explicitly stated to the police, “It’s on my phone, what you’re looking for” when questioned about the nature of the images.

Upon examination of his Samsung device, authorities uncovered a staggering collection: 2,688 images classified as Category A (the most severe), along with 4,160 Category B images and an alarming 32,205 Category C images. Among these horrific images were videos depicting the sexual abuse of very young children, including a baby. Additionally, officers discovered a 170-page manual that provided detailed guidance on how to exploit children and evade detection.

In court, prosecutor Ashanti-Jade Walton highlighted the graphic content of the material found and emphasised the seriousness of Church’s offences. Despite his previous clean record, Church pleaded guilty to all charges against him. His defence barrister noted that Church was aware of the severity of his actions and had sought help from organizations aimed at preventing child exploitation.

Judge Huw Rees condemned Church’s actions as “unhealthy” and a significant danger to children. He stated, “These are not just images; they represent real victims,” reinforcing the gravity of Church’s crimes and the impact they have on real lives.

In addition to his prison sentence, Church is required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years following his release.

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Community

Welsh Water distribute free cold weather lagging kits

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AS the winter season is in full swing and the temperature drops, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is offering free winter lagging kits to help households across Wales prepare for the colder months. With over 2,500 kits available, the initiative aims to assist residents in protecting their homes against frozen pipes and costly bursts.

Frozen pipes can lead to unwanted damage and unnecessary stress during the winter season, but with the right preparation the risks can be minimised.
The winter lagging kit includes pipe insulation and a tap jacket – with lagging designed to protect exposed pipes and a tap jacket to prevent outdoor taps from freezing and bursting.

“We understand how challenging winter can be for many people, which can be made worse should the unexpected happened – such as a experiencing a frozen or burst pipe,” said Euan Hampton, Water Demand – Delivery Manager at Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. “To help ease the pressures winter can bring, we’re offering free pipe lagging kits and tap jackets as part of our ongoing commitment to helping communities stay safe, warm, and secure throughout the colder months.”

In addition to distributing free lagging kits and tap jackets. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water recommends the following tips to help residents prepare their homes:

Locate your stop tap: Knowing the location of your stop tap is essential in the case of an emergency. If your pipes freeze or burst, you’ll want to shut the water off to minimise damage.
Clear your gutters: Blocked gutters can lead to excess water accessing your home, especially during a storm.
Insulate pipes: Not only outdoor pipes need preparing, think of areas that may be at risk to cold weather – attics or uninsulated cupboards.
Fix those drips: Dripping taps can increase the risk of frozen pipes. Fixing it will also save you litres of water every day, saving both energy and money on your water bill.
Away from home? Empty buildings are at particular risk. If you’re leaving your home for a prolonged period, turn off your stop tap and drain down the system – so there is no water in the system to freeze. If you’re away for a short time, if you can, we suggest keeping your heating on low to help keep your home warm and prevent pipes from freezing.
The free kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To request a free winter lagging kit or tap jacket, customers can visit: www.dwrcymru.com/en/winter-ready

Alongside the helpful tips to prepare your home this winter and advice on how to manage any issues should they arise. Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water are also offering free water efficiency home visits to all domestic customers – and the free lagging kit and tap jackets can be installed as part of the visit.

If you would like to find out more ways you could start saving, visit: www.dwrcymru.com/en/help-advice/cartref/water-efficiency-home-visit

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