News
Determined motorist will take ‘wrongful conviction’ to the High Court
A PENSIONER, who has been convicted of speeding by Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, and again on appeal to The Crown Court on Friday (Jun 16) says that he is going to take the case to the Court of Appeal ‘because the police are liars’.
Niall Taylor, 67, is determined that the police stopped him on Arnolds Hill on the A40, which is a 60mph zone – but the police told two courts that Taylor was sighted by the Toyota Garage just outside Haverfordwest in a temporary 40mph zone, and was stopped on the nearby roundabout.
Taylor says that he has asked for number plate recognition (NPR) information from data cameras near the scene – all that is needed to prove his innocence according to him – but he claims he has been repeatedly blocked in his request.
Taylor insists that the data will show that he was not stopped where the police say, and that the two police officers involved are liars. Speaking at the Magistrates’ Court hearing in February he said: “I am in total disbelief at this. The officer is not telling the truth. I would not go to all this effort just to dodge a speeding fine.”
But data from the two police officer’s TETRA Airwave radios showed that the police were parked on a nearby roundabout, which supported the police’s side of the story in court. At the appeal, the police ICT specialist Suzanne James, however, was unable to confirm how accurate the radio location data was.
The police traffic car involved did not have any operational CCTV cameras according to official statements. The PC said: “None of the RPU vehicles, including the [vehicle I was driving], are fitted with dash cams, CCTV or any other video recording equipment. Neither myself, or my colleague, were issued with or in possession of personal body cams.”
The officer, of Haverfordwest’s Road Policing Unit had told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court in February that he and a colleague had been conducting speed checks on the A40 near the Toyota dealership on August 22 last year.
At the magistrates’ court Taylor was found guilty and fined £55, and three points were added to his licence. With court costs included the total he owed the court rose to £710
The PC told the court: “At about 7.30pm on August 22, Mr Taylor’s car came into sight and the device recorded a speed over 40mph. A speed of 52mph in fact.”
On May 15, at Swansea Crown Court, at a preliminary appeal hearing, Judge Paul Thomas was minded to strike the case against Taylor out because the CPS would not produce the data which had been ordered. But Taylor said he did not want the case against him dismissed.
He told the judge: “No I am not being found not-guilty by default, my name has been splashed all over the newspapers. I am innocent and I want to prove my innocence one hundred percent. I do not want to be let off on a technicality.”
On hearing that Judge Paul Thomas ordered that the appeal go ahead.
Taylor, who was representing himself in court, was again convicted last week by a different judge.
When asked how he could pay his fine at the end of the hearing, Taylor said: “I’m not going to pay a penny I would rather go to prison! The whole system is corrupt!”
Judge Peter Heywood replied: “There is no need to take that attitude.”
The Herald has emailed the police press office to confirm that police vehicles in Dyfed-Powys have no CCTV. As yet there has been no response.
Business
Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost
RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.
The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”
SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION
As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.
Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.
“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”
ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS
An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.
“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.
The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.
Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”
GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES
The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.
The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.
News
Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children
A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.
The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.
Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.
During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.
MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.
Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.
Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.
Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.
Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.
MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
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