A LLANDOVERY man has been handed a three-year community order after officers discovered an illegal child-abuse video playing on his mobile phone during a search of his home.

Police executed a warrant at the property of Lawrence Cooper, aged 69, of Lon Rhys Pritchard, on 19 September last year. When officers entered the bedroom, a video involving two underage girls was found playing on his device.

Two phones, two laptops, a hard drive and an SD card were seized. Cooper told officers at the scene that they would find further illegal material on the equipment.

Digital analysis confirmed more than 1,000 indecent images of children stored across his devices. These included Category A, B and C still images and videos, featuring victims aged between two and 16. The court heard that Cooper had also used search terms associated with child-sexual-abuse content and incest.

Cooper answered “no comment” in two police interviews but later admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

At Swansea Crown Court, Hannah George, defending, said Cooper had no previous convictions and had entered early guilty pleas. She told the court he accepted gaining gratification from the material, despite denying a sexual interest in children, and said he felt “shame” about his actions.

Passing sentence, Judge Paul Hobson said Cooper had been actively seeking out illegal content and was watching such material at the moment officers arrived.

Cooper was made subject to a three-year community order requiring 180 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of rehabilitation activity.

He must also sign the sex-offenders register for five years and comply with a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Summit brings together UK, Irish and Crown Dependency leaders in Cardiff

CARDIFF hosted senior political leaders from across the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies on Friday (Dec 5), as First Minister Eluned Morgan welcomed delegates to the latest meeting of the British-Irish Council – with a focus on unlocking the potential of the creative industries.

The First Minister chaired the summit, which was attended by a wide group of political leaders, including the Chief Ministers of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man; Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly; Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin; Tánaiste Simon Harris; Irish Ministers Helen McEntee and Darren Jones; Scottish First Minister John Swinney; and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Also present were Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales; and the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Rebecca Evans, alongside Culture Minister Jack Sargeant.

This is the second major international-facing event hosted by the First Minister this week, following Monday’s Wales Investment Summit, which attracted more than 300 business leaders from across the globe.

Speaking after the meeting, First Minister Eluned Morgan said the gathering highlighted Wales’s growing reputation as a creative powerhouse.

“Today’s summit was a great opportunity to welcome friends to Wales to celebrate our vibrant and dynamic creative industries. Our creative industries enrich our lives in so many ways – providing enjoyment and memories,” she said.

“The sector is also a cornerstone of our economy – the sectors supported by Creative Wales have over 3,500 businesses, employing 35,000 people with an annual turnover of £1.5bn.”

Cabinet Secretary for Culture Jack Sargeant said Welsh creativity continues to make an impact well beyond the nation’s borders.

“From film and television to gaming, music, publishing and immersive technologies, Welsh creativity is making waves globally,” he said.

“Our creative sectors are a huge success story. Just this week we announced £2m for Bad Wolf to produce two new TV productions that will bring £30m to the Welsh economy. That takes our production investment to £33.8m in 70 projects, generating £419.7m since Creative Wales was launched in 2020.”

The Herald understands the Welsh Government intends to continue using the British-Irish Council as a platform to promote Wales’s cultural output, economic potential and creative expertise on the international stage.

A SOCIAL-MEDIA post by the clerk of Neyland Town Council has sparked concern over professionalism and conduct within the authority, as tribunal hearings arising from complaints against several Neyland councillors are due to take place early next year.

Clerk Libby Matthews posted publicly on Friday (Dec 5): “F*** you, see you at your tribunals in January lads,” accompanied by the hashtag “if you know you know”. The remark appeared to refer to Local Government Ombudsman tribunal hearings scheduled for the new year.

The Herald understands that the January hearings relate to complaints lodged against a number of Neyland councillors, which have progressed through the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and are now due to be considered by a tribunal panel.

The latest post adds to a period of turbulence for Neyland Town Council, which has experienced persistent internal disputes, a high volume of conduct complaints, resignations and repeated public disagreements over the past two years. Earlier Herald reports have detailed strained relations between the clerk and several councillors, with both sides accusing the other of inappropriate behaviour.

Concerns about Ms Matthews’ public engagement intensified this autumn when she accused a Herald journalist of “bullying” after receiving a routine request for comment. The request, sent at 00:41 on 6 October, sought clarification on material already in the public domain. At 08:55, Ms Matthews replied stating that she felt “harassed” and asked to be left alone. The Herald published its story only after the right of reply had been declined.

Later that day, Neyland Town Council issued a corporate statement claiming the newspaper’s coverage was “targeted” and “bullying”. No evidence was provided, and no clarification has been offered since. In response, the Herald’s Editor lodged a formal complaint with the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales on 8 October, arguing that both the council’s statement and the clerk’s public comments were unsupported and potentially damaging to press freedom.

In his complaint, the Editor suggested the council’s handling of the matter was inconsistent with expected standards of respect, integrity and openness, and described a pattern in which legitimate questions were sometimes met with personal allegations rather than substantive responses. The Ombudsman is considering the complaint.

The tribunal proceedings are expected to begin in January. The Herald will continue to report developments.