News

Teen ‘joy-rider’ was ‘off her head and tried to bite me’

Published

9 years ago

April 17, 2017

Tom Sinclair

Drone shot: The incident from the air (pic Matt Lewis)

A MILFORD HAVEN woman who bravely tried to grab the keys from the ignition of the silver Mercedes driven by a teenage girl who had failed to stop at the scene of an accident last week has now given her account to The Pembrokeshire Herald.

The girl was driving without a valid licence when she hit other vehicles on Victoria Road, outside Circles Nightclub on April 13 – but carried on driving.

A few minutes later Kate Meakin, 43, of Milton Crescent was a passenger in a friend’s vehicle when she spotted the car.

Recalling Thursday afternoon’s incident, she told The Herald: “I was at the bottom of St Lawrence Hill, near Celtic Hand Car Wash. When we stopped a man in a white van was already shouting, and told me that the driver of the Mercedes was the girl that the police were after for the accident up the road. There was damage to the front of the vehicle from the earlier smash.

“The girl was screaming, proper kicking off. I put my hand in through the open driver’s window and snatched the keys. If I hadn’t tried to take the keys she may have tried to keep on going; but when I put my hand in the window the girl tried to bite me, but I managed to stop her.”

Ms Meakin added: “She was acting crazy, off her head, foaming at the mouth and shouting but not making any sense. In my opinion and from looking at her eyes I would say that she had taken some kind of drug.

Blocked in: The Mercedes came to a stop on St Lawrence Hill (pic. Luke Thomas)

“I then left it to a man in a white van, who I think is an electrician, who finally managed to get the keys out whilst I flagged the police down.”

Luke Thomas, who works for James Findlay Electrical, had managed to get the girl to pull over. He told The Herald: “After I knew it was her after confirming with my boss [who witnessed the earlier crash] I started beeping and flashing and started point to the lay by and for some reason she pulled over. I mounted the curb blocked her in and eventually grabbed the keys.”

Luke Thomas said that he did not see the girl try to bite Kate Meakin.

Police booked the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and she appeared in court on Friday (Apr 14) to confirm her name and address. Among the charges are aggravated taking without owner’s consent and charges of no driving licence and no insurance.

Carnage: Damaged vehicles outside Circles Nightclub (pic. The Herald)

A Herald reporter who was nearly caught up in the incident on Hamilton Terrace before the driver was apprehended said: “A car came out of the junction by the Haven Hotel, hit the curb and and crashed into the side of a red car. It then bounced back onto the curb, and hit a white car that was following behind the red car.

“After hitting the two cars it drove off. I was driving from the roundabount near Hakin bridge, and I saw it coming toward me on the other side of the road. I noticed it was absolutely smashed to pieces – the front right hand side of the car was completely obliterated.

“It started to cross the white lines and I thought it was going to hit me, so I swerved to the left to avoid it and beeped my horn. It drove off toward the roundabout, and as I started to drive toward Hamilton Terrace I saw there had been a collision, so I got out and waited for the police to arrive.”

One of the drivers caught up in the crash told The Herald that he had just bought the car that morning.

Another witness, who was driving behind the Mercedes moments before it crashed, said he had reported the driver for using their phone whilst driving. He also said the driver was ‘smoking a fag’ at the same time.

Shortly before the incident, a Milford Haven local saw the Mercedes nearly hit a van.

Stevie Parkes told The Herald: “I was on the corner of Robert Street waiting to cross the road. The Mercedes pulled out in front of a van on the other side of the road and then had to swerve to avoid the bollards in the middle of the road.”

Both Dyfed-Powys Police and the Welsh Ambulance Service attended the scene.

No injuries were sustained, however an elderly lady who was in one of the cars was seen to by a nurse.

Map: The joy rider’s car was stopped near car wash (pic. Google)

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

21 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

27 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.

Crime

Rogue roofer conned homeowner out of thousands

Published

43 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Caerphilly investigation leads to court conviction

A ROGUE trader from Pembroke has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 after duping a homeowner into handing over thousands for unnecessary roofing work.

Douggie Whitbread, aged twenty-five and living at Coldwell Terrace, Pembroke, persuaded his victim that he “probably needed a new roof” before charging £4,350 for work that was either unnecessary or not carried out properly.

Whitbread admitted two counts of fraud relating to a property on Griffiths Street, Ystrad Mynach, with the offences taking place between August 12 and October 16, 2023.

He appeared before Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court, where he was ordered to pay a total of £6,130. That includes £4,350 in compensation, £1,500 in prosecution costs, a £200 fine, and an £80 victim surcharge.

The case was brought following an investigation by Caerphilly Trading Standards, who urged residents to be cautious of unsolicited offers of home maintenance work.