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Inquest concludes suicide after woman went overboard

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THE INQUEST into the death of a woman who jumped overboard a ferry in order to kill herself, was heard at the Pembrokeshire Coroners’ Court today (Feb 23).

Jennifer Massi lived at Dagmar Court on Cornwall Road, and was 24-years-old at the time of her death.

Jeremy Davies, Coroner’s Officer for Dyfed-Powys Police told the court that Ms Massi was born in the Kongo in Africa, and was one of two children. She attended Southgate College and took a Business Studies course, and later worked in a dental practise.

Mr Davies said: “The loss of her brother affected her deeply. She suffered with psychosis and was receiving medication. At 8.31am on December 2, Dyfed-Powys Police were made aware of a missing person believed to have gone overboard the ferry, travelling from Pembroke Dock to Rosslaire.
“The coastguard reported that her property was found on the vessel, which included a coat, a mobile phone and a bank card.”

Mr Davies explained that she had travelled on the Eurolines coach from London to Pembrokeshire. The driver of the coach had not realised she was missing until the ferry docked in Ireland, and had said that she had tried to deport the coach a number of times on the way to Pembrokeshire.

Ms Massi was living alone in a one bedroom flat, and suffered with mental health. She had discharged herself from recovery.

Mr Davies continued: “CCTV showed Ms Massi entering the reception area and went on the ferry at 2.10pm. At 2.40pm, the driver of the coach went onto deck 9 for a smoke, and saw Ms Massi there. He went inside at 2.45pm and she was still there.

“Her belongings were found on deck 9, and a text on her mobile phone from a person called Lorraine, who was concerned for her welfare and urged her to make contact on receipt of the message.”

A body was later found on the shore of Milford Haven. Dyfed-Powys Police couldn’t attend as it was only accessible through vessel or air. The body was airlifted to Haverfordwest Aerodrome.

Mr Davies explained that the body matched the description of Ms Massi, and in her pocket was a coach ticket with her name on.

On Monday, December 5, Ms Massi’s father formally identified her body at Withybush Hospital.

Pembrokeshire Coroner, Mark Layton read a report by Dr Ruth Cloocke, who said Ms Massi had an established diagnosis of resistant paranoid schitzophrenia, and had a record of drug misuse.

The court heard that the severe loss of her brother, who was killed in a random act of violence, had affected her greatly, but she had mental health problems since she was a teenager. At age 15, she was removed from her mother’s care after she attempted to take her own life.

She was unable to live alone, and was looking forward to moving into supported accommodation. However, just four days before she was going to move into her new home, she was told it was no longer available.

Mr Davies said: “This had a devastating effect. She started a fire at her previous address, and claimed to have started it accidentally with a cigarette.

“At 2pm that day, she went to her father’s address, but did not tell him about the fire. She accepted a phone call and said she was travelling to the Kongo with her father later that day.

“That was the last communication she had with her family and mental heath professionals.”

Mr Davies explained that she had repeatedly attempted suicide, with incidents such as overdosing on paracetamol and Jack Daniels, thoughts of slashing her wrists and taking 50 paracetamol tablets and drinking bleach.

The court heard that on one occasion, she was found sitting in the dark by herself with two knives, and said she wanted to take apart her hair. Her hair, which was in braids at the time, had been cut off and was on the floor.

Mr Davies said: “In October 2016 she had contemplated suicide, such as walking into a circular road and getting run over. She had low self worth, and had thought about jumping from a bridge, but she denied an intent to act.”

However, Mr Davies said she did act on her thoughts on December 1.

A post-mortem report by Dr Daniel Houza, explained that there was a low level of alcohol which could have been produced after her death, but she had ultimately died through unnatural causes, in particular, drowning.

Mr Mark Layton said that looking at her history of mental health problems, and how deeply affected she was by the death of her brother, the court concludes that Ms Massi took deliberate steps to end her life.

Mr Layton concluded that she committed suicide, and passed on his condolences to the family, who were absent at the inquest.

Community

A quarter of Welsh workers struggle to pay bills despite overtime

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A QUARTER of Welsh workers are struggling to pay their bills, while nearly 40% say their salaries do not cover their financial goals, such as buying a home or saving for retirement, new research has found.

The study, conducted by recruitment firm Reed, also revealed that 30% of employees in Wales are unhappy with their pay. Of those, 63% said their wages had not kept up with the cost of living, while 46% blamed low pay within their industry.

Nearly 40% of workers reported working overtime, putting in an average of 6.2 extra hours per week. Among them, 44% said they had no choice due to excessive workloads, while 25% struggled to ‘switch off’ from work.

PAY DISPARITY

Despite working beyond their contracted hours, many employees are not being compensated. Only 21% said they were paid for overtime, while another 21% were able to accrue extra hours. Alarmingly, 44% reported receiving no compensation at all.

Becky Hole, Regional Director at Reed, said: “With 28% of Wales’ population classed as economically inactive, the labour market is tight. It may well be that those who are working feel they need to pick up the slack or work extra hours to compensate for staff shortages.

“It’s clear that Wales has a hardworking population, but the research highlights that many do not feel properly compensated. The extra unpaid hours aren’t alleviating financial worries and could contribute to stress or burnout.”

The findings are part of Reed’s annual salary guide research, which analysed over 21 million job adverts and surveyed 5,000 workers across the UK. The full sector-specific salary guides are available on Reed’s website.

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Community

Bells ring out in Pembroke for St David’s Day parade

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PARADE BRINGS CELEBRATION TO PEMBROKE CASTLE

THE SOUND of bells, whistles, and cheers filled the air in Pembroke as the town marked St David’s Day with its inaugural parade on Saturday (March 1). Organised by Pembroke Town Team and Gwenno Dafydd, the event, titled “Ring Out the Bells for St David,” brought together residents and visitors to celebrate Welsh heritage in a lively and colourful procession.

The parade began at 11:15am, with participants gathering at the North Quay outside the Corn Store. At 11:30am, the procession made its way to Pembroke Castle, creating a vibrant atmosphere with banners, flags, and the sound of bells ringing in honour of Wales’ patron saint. The enthusiasm of the crowd was palpable as families, schoolchildren, and local groups joined in, waving Welsh flags and proudly wearing national colours.

Upon arrival at the castle at midday, the bells rang out to mark the occasion, followed by a range of Welsh-themed entertainment. Traditional music, folk dancing, and performances celebrating Welsh culture kept the spirit of the event alive, reinforcing the importance of St David’s Day in the local community.

Speaking about the success of the parade, an organiser said: “It was fantastic to see so many people come together to celebrate our heritage. The energy and pride on display today truly reflected the spirit of St David’s Day.”

Locals praised the event as a welcome addition to Pembroke’s calendar, with many hoping it will become an annual tradition.

Images by Martin Cavaney

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New leader for Congress group strengthening US-Wales ties

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FIRST MINISTER Eluned Morgan has welcomed the appointment of Rep. Lloyd Doggett as the new Democratic Co-Chair of the Friends of Wales Caucus in the US Congress.

Rep. Doggett spoke about his new role during a Welsh Government-hosted reception at the Library of Congress to mark St David’s Day. The Caucus, established on St David’s Day in 2014, aims to strengthen cultural and trade links between Wales and the USA.

The group currently has 26 members across both the US House and Senate. The existing Chair, Rep. Morgan Griffith, a Republican representing Virginia’s 9th Congressional District, will now be joined by Rep. Doggett as the Democratic Co-Chair.

The Welsh Government has been actively engaging with Congress to foster stronger ties. With the support of the Caucus, it has hosted events promoting Wales’s compound semiconductor cluster and its climate change initiatives during New York Climate Week.

Rep. Doggett, who joined the Caucus in November 2023, has expressed enthusiasm for his new role. He has served in the US House of Representatives since 1995 and currently represents Texas’s 37th Congressional District. Over his tenure, he has been a vocal advocate for environmental protection, healthcare expansion, public education, and social safety net programmes.

On March 12, his congressional district will host the SXSW festival, where FOCUS Wales will showcase Welsh music with support from the Welsh Government.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “I am delighted to welcome the first Democratic Co-Chair of the Friends of Wales Caucus, Congressman Lloyd Doggett. I have no doubt that he will be immensely successful alongside Congressman Griffith. I am confident that, through their joint leadership, the Caucus will continue to grow and support the interests of Wales before Congress.”

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