News

Suspended jail term after ‘shocking’ rabbit neglect

Published

9 years ago

February 14, 2017

A 43-YEAR-OLD man from Narberth appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Feb 13) after he neglected 22 domestic rabbits.

Andrew Michael Williams, of High Street, pleaded guilty to the charge.

Prosecutor, John Tarrant, told the court: “On October 8, 2016, an inspector attended High Street in Narberth. They saw at the back of the property there was a terraced garden with huches and a yellow garden bucket. In the lower section of the garden there were three blocks of hutches with live and dead rabbits.

“There was some water but no food, and the inspector contacted the police.”

Mr Tarrant continued: “The inspectors and veterinarians arrived and gained entry with police assistance. Williams had been drinking heavily, and on entering, the property was unkempt and there was rabbit faeces on the floor. They called out but had no reply, and found Williams on the bed in a drunken state.

“There were no sheets and vomit was present, as well as 20-30 vodka botles and decaying food.”

Mr Tarrant explained that there were rabbits loose in the hallway, and as the inspectors approached they ran into the garden, where they found both live and dead rabbits.

He explained: “There was one dead rabbit on the floor and live and dead rabbits in the hutches. The grass had all been eaten.

“There was also a yellow garden bucket with putrified remains of several rabbits.”

In total, there were eight dead rabbits and 14 others.

Mr Tarrant said: “In a group of rabbits in cage 5, there was evidence of cannibalism: only one of the rabbits had its ears intact. None of the rabbits in hutches had access to food or water.”

When Williams was interviewed, he said he was not going to comment a great deal. However, when asked about the yellow bucket, he said ‘stop reminding me of that’ and said there were ‘all sorts of people coming in and ou of my garden.’

Williams signed over all the rabbits except one called Loki.

Defence solicitor, Michael Kelleher said: “The facts are shocking, and Williams is shocked as well. You might think he dislikes rabbits, but this is not the case. He has kept rabbits since 2005. He’s got a fridge just for them, and they are part and parcel of his life.”

Mr Kelleher explained that Loki is a house rabbit, and is a descendant of a previous rabbit he had.

He continued: “Williams’ mental health hasn’t been good and he has suffered with alcoholism. He managed to keep looking after the rabbits, and would buy all of his clothes from charity shops so that food was available for the rabbits.

“He suffered with deep depression and was hospitalised immediately after he was found in the state he was in.”

Mr Kelleher told the bench that Williams believed the animals were fed, but it was the alcohol that has fooled his mind. He said: “The rabbits were his family. When he was arrested, he said ‘I’ve let me best friends down. I’ve left my family down’, and was referring to the rabbits.

“He refused to sign over Loki and is desperate to have him back. He believes his mental health will be affected if Loki is not returned.”

Probation officer, Julie Norman explained that Williams had told her he had been keeping rabbits for over 10 years, but had recently been suffering with mental health.

She said: “His father had gone on holiday and he relapsed when he was on his own.

“He was drinking heavily over a two week period and didn’t know what was going on. He is very remorseful, but thought they were being fed. Clearly they weren’t.

“He is particularly stressed abou Loki. He doesn’t go out much because of anxiety – to be able to come here today, he was prescribed diazepam from his doctor just to get on a bus.”

Magistrates told the court that they had taken a considerable amount of time with their sentencing, and are bound by their guidelines.

Williams was banned from keeping animals for five years, and sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. No requirements were imposed. He must also pay £300 costs and £115 victim surcharge.

WARNING: Graphic images below.

Entertainment

Costume designer reveals work behind Torch Theatre’s Robin Hood spectacular

Published

9 minutes ago

July 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

More than 50 young performers will take to the stage in 133 sustainably sourced costumes

MORE than 50 young people from across Pembrokeshire are preparing to bring the legend of Robin Hood to life at the Torch Theatre this month.

The theatre’s Summer Youth Show, Robin Hood: The Legend of the Black Knight, will feature 133 costumes, all of which have been sourced with sustainability in mind.

Supported by the Port of Milford Haven and the Ingles Charitable Trust, the production will run for three nights only, from Monday, July 20, to Wednesday, July 22.

Costume designer Fi Russell has been responsible for creating a distinctive look for the large cast while working within the production’s budget.

She said: “There are more than 130 costumes in this show, so it has been a challenge to source that many outfits within budget while also making them identifiable, rooted in each character and fun.”

Fi trained in scenography at Aberystwyth University before specialising in theatre design and completing a postgraduate diploma at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

She has now worked as a professional theatre designer for more than 15 years.

Fi said the audience’s experience is central to her approach when designing costumes.

She explained: “I love thinking about how the audience will understand, react and respond to the costumes.

“For this show, I have used really strong colour distinctions between the different character groups to make the story as easy to follow as possible.”

Fi’s recent work includes designing the set and costumes for Le Navet Bete’s fast-paced comedy Oh Zeus! and working with magicians The Great Baldini and Peter Clifford on The Curious Case of the Masked Magician. Both productions are currently touring the UK.

Environmental considerations have also played an important part in the preparations for the Torch production.

Fi added: “Sustainability and the environment are really important to me and are embedded in my work.

“We are hiring and borrowing many of the costumes rather than buying new ones, and we will make sure that no clothing goes to landfill at the end of the show.”

Robin Hood: The Legend of the Black Knight will be performed at the Torch Theatre at 6.30pm on Monday, July 20, Tuesday, July 21, and Wednesday, July 22.

Tickets cost £10, or £8 for concessions, and are available through the Torch Theatre website or by calling the box office on 01646 695267.

Community

Llangwm LitFest returns with tales of slow travel and inclusive writing

Published

14 minutes ago

July 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Three-day festival will bring literature, music, art and workshops to the Pembrokeshire village from August 7 to 9

LLANGWM LitFest will return this summer with a varied programme celebrating travel writing, remarkable historical figures and opportunities for people of all abilities to tell their own stories.

The popular literary festival, which has showcased almost 200 writers since it was established in 2016, will take place across Llangwm from Friday, August 7, to Sunday, August 9.

Festival director Michael Pugh will be discussing his own book, Riding Through War and Peace, which recounts his 1,500-mile journey on horseback from Russia through Belarus and Ukraine to Transylvania.

The book has been published during the Chinese Year of the Horse.

Mr Pugh said: “I am thrilled that Riding Through War and Peace was published in the Year of the Horse.

“It is a wonderful way to travel. The horse acts as an excellent way to interact with people, and you see so much more when you travel slowly.”

The journey took three months and was undertaken against the backdrop of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. Mr Pugh’s work has been compared with that of celebrated travel writers Patrick Leigh Fermor and Colin Thubron.

Russian history has long featured prominently in the festival’s programme, and this year will be no exception.

One of the headline events will focus on Miranda Seymour’s acclaimed biography of Princess Vera Gedroits, a pioneering surgeon, aristocrat and early feminist.

Princess Vera became Russia’s first female surgeon, championed workers’ rights and is said to have personally expelled Rasputin from her hospital ward.

Mr Pugh said: “The book has been praised as a masterpiece and shows Miranda Seymour at the height of her powers.”

Organisers say one of the events they are most proud to host this year is a supportive writing workshop for people with disabilities and different abilities.

The workshop is being heavily subsidised by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society and is intended to provide a welcoming environment in which participants can develop and share their writing.

Mr Pugh said: “Life can be hard for people with disabilities. We want to support them and hear their voices.

“The festival has been inspiring people to write for the past ten years, and the results have greatly enriched our programme.”

There will also be an opportunity for members of the public to perform their own work during Songs, Poems and Pints at Llangwm Rugby Club on Friday, August 7.

The evening will also feature music from Wrong Direction and the Varifolkals.

Music will continue on Sunday, August 9, when Ensemble Stinan performs at St Jerome’s Church.

Local artwork will be available to buy at Llangwm Village Hall, while a selection of crafts will be displayed at St Jerome’s Church during the first two days of the festival.

Mr Pugh added: “We are fortunate to have such a wealth of high-quality work being produced locally in Llangwm.”

Llangwm LitFest takes place from August 7 to 9, 2026.

Further information is available by emailing [email protected] or visiting www.llangwmlitfest.co.uk. The festival can also be found on Facebook at Llangwmlitfest and on X, formerly Twitter, at @Llangwmlitfest1.

Local Government

Council pressed over possible ban on fridges at recycling centres

Published

27 minutes ago

July 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Urgent question follows suspension of collections in Cardiff and Carmarthenshire amid nationwide processing problems

Pembrokeshire County Council has been asked whether it could temporarily stop residents taking unwanted fridges and freezers to its waste and recycling centres.

Councillor Huw Murphy submitted an urgent question for consideration at a meeting of the full council on Thursday, July 16, following similar restrictions introduced elsewhere in Wales.

The council’s Presiding Member agreed that the late question could be raised during the meeting.

Concerns over recycling waste: Cllr Huw Murphy

Cllr Murphy said Cardiff Council and Carmarthenshire County Council had suspended the acceptance of fridges, fridge-freezers and other cooling appliances at their recycling centres because of a reported lack of national processing capacity.

The problem has reportedly resulted in discarded appliances remaining at council facilities and taking up significant amounts of storage space while they await collection.

Cllr Murphy said Pembrokeshire’s position as a major tourism destination could mean the county handles a relatively high number of redundant fridges and other cooling appliances.

In his question, he asked the Cabinet member responsible for waste services to explain the likelihood of Pembrokeshire adopting similar restrictions.

He said: “Can the Cabinet Member inform council and residents of the likelihood of Pembrokeshire adopting this measure and suspending the ability of residents to take either a fridge, fridge-freezer or cooling appliance to a waste and recycling centre?”

Cllr Murphy also requested that, should a detailed answer not be available during the meeting, a written response be circulated to all councillors confirming whether restrictions were being considered.

Any suspension could leave residents temporarily unable to dispose of large cooling appliances through the council’s recycling centres and could increase concerns about storage and potential fly-tipping.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s response to the urgent question will be reported when it is available.