News

Seven year ban for woman who neglected dog

Published

8 years ago

March 14, 2017

A 43-YEAR-OLD woman appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates yesterday (Mar 13), after being accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a Collie-cross.

Brenda Bateman, of Meyrick Street, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty.

Prosecutor, John Tarrant, told the court that on October 27, 2016, RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben attended her home address and spoke to Bateman, who said her dog was ‘in a bad way’.

He said: “She said her dog’s nails were bad and she couldn’t get near her. She signed the dog over and consent for euthenasia.”

The dog, called Jess, was taken to a vet who gave her a body conditioning score of 3 out of 5, and noted she had severe alopecia as well as hyper pigmentation. Mr Tarrant said the dog had been ‘attacking’ its skin, which had become become thick and red.

16-year-old Jess’ nails had become so overgrown that they had curled under her paw and altered her footpad, and had a ‘stilted gait’.

Reading from the veterinary statement, Mr Tarrant said: “The animal had undergone unnecessary suffering from four to six months or longer. It was painful for it to walk.”

When Bateman was interviewed, she said ‘it went bad in March’, and claimed she thought Jess’ condition had deteriorated due to old age. The court heard that Batemen had said she was anxious that Jess would be put to sleep, and had said she ‘couldn’t get near’ her paws. However, Mr Tarrant explained that the vet noted Jess was fine to have her paws touched.

Bateman claimed that she made her paw bleed the last time she cut her nails, which is why she couldn’t cut them again.

Bateman told the court: “Life was a mess. Every night when I go to bed I think of my Jess. She had a good home. I’ve failed.”

She told the bench that since Jess had been put to sleep, her anxiety has been ‘put at ease’.

Magistrates told Bateman that they had carefully considered the matters, and ordered she pay £300 prosecution costs to the RSPCA, a fine of £200 and £30 victim surcharge.

Bateman was also banned from keeping animals for seven years, however she can appeal to the court after three and a half years.

The chair of the bench told Bateman that it was ‘unacceptable’ that the dog had suffered serious distress, and pets ‘must be cared for until the end of their lives’.

Crime

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

Published

5 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

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.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

6 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

8 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.”