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News

Judgement reserved on Herald ​editor

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Barrister Matthew Paul: Pictured with Herald editor Thomas Sinclair​

THE EDITOR of The Ceredigion Herald appeared in court today (Apr 20) charged with breaching a statutory reporting restriction.

Thomas Hutton Sinclair, the 37-year-old editor of the Herald titles, was on trial for allegedly identifying the complainant in a sexual offence case.

Appearing in Llanelli Magistrates’ Court, Mr Sinclair maintained his not guilty plea.

Prosecuting, Emma Myles told the court that the allegation related to an article published in the Ceredigion Herald in 2016.

“The court will be aware that under the provision of the 1992 sexual offences act the complainant has a right to anonymity,” Ms Myles said.

“It is the Crown’s submission that this falls foul of the wording of this act.”

All written statements were accepted by the defence, and the case hinged on whether the article in question breached the Act in question or not.

The court heard from the record of a police interview with Herald deputy editor Jon Coles, in which he stated that he had received the court report in question from a Herald court reporter, and changed the tense from present to past, as well as fixing some errors.

Describing M​r​ Sinclair as ‘a hands-on editor’, he added that Mr Sinclair had the final word over what was published. Mr Coles stated that in this instance he had not been instructed to check whether the content complied with the law, though on some occasions he carried out this task when asked.

In an informal interview last year, Mr Sinclair told police that he had held the role of editor since 2013, although his training was in law not journalism.

He added that as a total of around 1,200 articles were published over the four titles each week, it was ‘impossible’ to edit all of them, and some of this work was referred to the deputy editor. In this case he had not seen the article until it was brought to his attention by the police.

When asked his opinion on whether the article breached reporting restrictions, Mr Sinclair replied that it ‘sailed close to the wind’ but would not allow members of the public in general to identify the complainant.

He pointed out that the defendant in the original case had ‘a common surname’ and that The Herald had not reproduced his address.

When asked if he would have changed anything had he edited the article himself, Mr Sinclair suggested that he may have taken out details of the defendant’s occupation.

However, he maintained that ‘any member of the general public would not be able to piece together who the complainant is’.

He also noted that the reporter who wrote the article had just been coming to the end of a probationary period at the time, and that his staff had already been booked onto a media law course.

Summing up, Ms Myles said that it was the Crown’s submission that by publishing this article, Mr Sinclair had breached legislation specifically aimed at that type of case.

“I respectfully submit that the legislation must be stringently applied,” she added, stating that details of the relationship between the complainant and the defendant in the original case which were published breached the legislation.

Representing Mr Sinclair, Matthew Paul set out the information revealed in the article – the name, age and former occupation of the convicted party, along with the date of conviction and a familial relationship which had existed at some point between him and the complainant. However, he noted that the date of the offence and the defendant’s address had not been included, and no indication had been given as to the age of the complainant.

His argument was that in this case there was nothing in the article which would allow any member of the public not closely connected with the convicted party or the complainant to make any identification.

Mr Paul stressed that for a conviction, it had to be demonstrated that there was a real, rather than a hypothetical risk of identification.

Referring to the case of the Attorney General vs Greater Manchester Newspaper Group he noted that it had been found that the risk of identification was not based on relative statistical probability but ‘a real risk’.

“The Crown has to establish more than a hypothetical, but a material risk,” he added.

Mr Paul noted that the Crown appeared to be of the position that placing the complainant in a ‘pool of potential victims’ was the same as identifying them.

“Identifying, in my submission, must mean only one thing; it must lead to one person.”

Mr Paul added that the familial relationship mentioned could apply to more than one person, and that there was nothing in the report which suggested whether it was an historical or recent offence.

He suggested that the most the article could lead to, if read by someone familiar with the convicted party and/ or complainant, would be to place them in a ‘small pool’ of potential people.

He also noted that this small risk of identification was made even smaller by the Ceredigion Herald’s circulation figures at this time, which amounted to a relatively small percentage of the county buying a copy, and the fact that the story was not placed online.

“Right from the start you are dealing with a low-level risk, made even smaller by the fact that the date of the offence was not mentioned,” he added.

“Overall, you are looking at whether this report would lead members of the public to identify the complainant – it is my submission that it would not.”

District Judge David Parsons reserved judgement until May 12 at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court.

Crime

Haverfordwest resident denies assault on partner during birthday break

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A HAVERFORDWEST man has gone on trial accused of attacking his partner while on holiday in Pembrokeshire.

John Roberts, aged 51, of Barn Street, appeared at Swansea Crown Court charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

The incident is alleged to have taken place on August 24 last year at a shepherd’s hut in Rosemarket, where the couple were staying to celebrate the complainant’s birthday.

Roberts is accused of grabbing his partner by the hair and banging her head against a wall, before damaging a fireplace inside the property. He denies both charges.

Opening the case, prosecutor Emily Bennett told the jury that Roberts and the complainant had been in a relationship for twelve years and were enjoying a holiday following a family barbecue.

She said that shortly after midnight, Roberts’ “mood changed,” and he allegedly launched the attack.

The jury heard that the complainant managed to escape, locked herself in the bathroom and called the police. When she later emerged, Roberts had left the property — taking one of their dogs and the keys with him — and she noticed the fireplace had been damaged.

Roberts was arrested later that day. In police interview, he denied assaulting the woman or causing any damage, claiming she had “started on him” after accusing him of being unfaithful.

The trial, before Judge Wayne Beard, continues.

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Entertainment

Join TV and radio presenter Hester Grainger live at the Torch

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THIS June, the Torch Theatre welcomes ADHD coach, speaker and former Wright Stuff presenter Hester Grainger to the stage with her powerful and uplifting show, ADHD: Unmasked.

Expect an evening of open conversation, laughter, and refreshingly honest insights into life with ADHD. In a supportive and inclusive space, Hester invites everyone—whether living with ADHD, supporting someone who is, or simply curious—to share stories, connect, and feel seen.

A well-known voice in the neurodivergent community, Hester is a regular podcast guest and media contributor. Her appearance on ADHD Chatter with Alex Partridge went viral, with clips from the episode racking up over 22 million views.

ADHD: Unmasked is an interactive, dopamine-filled evening where Hester shares how to embrace a fast-paced mind, practise self-compassion, and tap into the strengths of neurodiversity. She’ll also speak candidly about family life—raising two autistic/ADHD teenagers and living with her autistic/ADHD husband—as well as navigating ADHD in the workplace, friendships, relationships, and late diagnosis.

Audience participation is welcome, with opportunities to ask questions throughout. Whether you’ve received a diagnosis or are just starting your journey, this event offers connection, laughter, and a sense of belonging. You’ll leave feeling empowered, informed—and most importantly—reminded that you are not alone.

Hester began her media career on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, going on to work with Loose Women and Today with Des and Mel. She has featured on BBC Radio 2, Radio 4, Radio 5 Live, and hosted her own show on BBC Radio Berkshire.

She has appeared on leading podcasts such as ADHD Chatter, The Hidden 20%, and ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast, and her writing has been published by HuffPost, Evening Standard, Reader’s Digest, and Arabian Business.

Alongside her husband Kelly, Hester co-founded Perfectly Autistic, a neurodiversity consultancy providing training, talks, and coaching to support neurodivergent employees. Both were diagnosed with ADHD in their forties, after Kelly’s earlier autism diagnosis.

Hester says: “I’m so excited to tour the UK talking about ADHD—something I’m truly passionate about. Being diagnosed in my forties finally gave me the answers I’d been searching for my whole life. With growing awareness, so many people have questions and want to understand more. This evening will be fun, entertaining, and honest—and nothing’s off limits.”

ADHD: Unmasked comes to the Torch Theatre on Friday 6 June at 7:30pm.
Tickets: £26
Book online at www.torchtheatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on (01646) 695267.

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News

Pembroke Dock boy walks out with Spurs captain at Stamford Bridge

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AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD boy from Pembroke Dock had the experience of a lifetime on Thursday night (Apr 4), when he was selected as the official mascot for Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Joey Williams, a pupil at Pembroke Dock Community School, walked out onto the pitch hand-in-hand with Spurs’ team captain, Son Heung-min, in front of a packed stadium and millions of viewers watching around the world.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was part of Tottenham Hotspur’s official mascot programme. Joey, who recently turned eight, travelled to London with his family to take part in the unforgettable event.

His proud mum, KatieJane Solomon, told The Herald: “My son lives in Pembroke Dock and was chosen to be mascot for the Chelsea vs Tottenham game tonight. He walked out with Son Heung-min!”

“He’s a very big Spurs fan so we signed him up to be a member on there website about a year ago and he was very lucky selected at random last month.”

The Premier League clash ended in high drama, but for Joey, the biggest highlight was walking out alongside his football heroes.

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