News

Doctor ‘100% sure’ he did not see alleged murder victim

Published

8 years ago

February 1, 2018

A RETIRED GP told a murder jury today (Jan 31) he was 100% sure that Penny John had been wrong about a consultation she said he had with her mother Betty Guy just two days before she died.

John had told a jury at Swansea Crown Court that on November 4, 2011, she was at the St Thomas surgery in Rifleman Lane, Haverfordwest, when Dr Roger Burns told her 84 year old mother, “Sorry, we have been giving you the wrong medicine for years. You don’t have long left.”

Dr Burns told the jury today, in a written statement, that he was 100% sure that the consultation had never taken place.

Dr Burns said he could not find a record of it but he was certain that if it had happened he would had made an entry on Mrs Guy’s patient notes.

He said he had been congratulated by colleagues on his record keeping.

“I don’t recall telling her that and if that had been the case I am sure I would have recorded it because of its importance.”

Dr Burns said he had been asked if he could have made an entry but later deleted it, or if the surgery’s computer system could have been down on that day.

Dr Burns said he never deleted entries. If one was entered by mistake he would add a correct one but without deleting the original entry.

He added that he had asked for checks to be made about the system itself.

The practice manager, Jane Stewart-Daters, said in a statement that the system had been operating normally on November 4, 2011.

She said that if an entry had been deleted there would have been an audit trail and there was no record of any deletions being made that day.

Nor was there a record of Betty Guy requesting an appointment on that day.

Dr Burns then made a second statement saying he was 100% sure the consultation described by John had not taken place and he had not made the statement she claimed he had.

“There is no possibility I saw her on that day,” he added.

Dr Burns said he also disputed John’s claim that after Mrs Guy’s death they had met at the undertakers and had a conversation, in which John had said to him, “You saw her just two days before her death.”

“But I did not,” said Dr Burns.

John, aged 50, of Maes Dre, Union Terrace, St Dogmaels, and her son Barry Rogers, aged 33, of High Street, Fishguard, deny murdering Mrs Guy in the early hours of November 7, 2011, at her home in Hillcroft, Johnston.

The prosecution claim that John fed her a cocktail of drugs and whiskey and that Rogers “finished her off” by placing a pillow over her face.

The trial is entering the closing stages and the jury is expected to retire on Friday.

Ministry of Defence

Castlemartin range set for heavy activity as winter live-fire exercise begins

Published

22 minutes ago

November 18, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Army warns of late-night firing and increased traffic

CASTLEMARTIN Training Area will be extremely busy over the next few weeks as the Army begins a major live-fire exercise running from now until to 5 December.

The winter training block will see troops carrying out critical preparation ahead of future deployments, with extensive armoured manoeuvres and both daytime and night-time firing.

Extended firing hours

Live firing will take place between the following times:

Monday: 8:00am – 6:00pm and 8:00pm – 3:00am
Tuesday: 8:00am – 6:00pm and 8:00pm – 3:00am
Wednesday: 8:00am – 6:00pm and 8:00pm – 3:00am
Thursday: 8:00am – 6:00pm and 8:00pm – 3:00am
Friday: 8:00am – 6:00pm

There will be no live firing at weekends, although military vehicles will still be moving around the area.

Residents are being reminded that these times are the earliest and latest possible firing windows. Not every day will start or finish at the maximum hours listed.

Traffic expected on rural roads

The Army says there will be increased vehicle movements on local roads—particularly in Angle, Castlemartin and the Freshwater West area—in the week leading up to the exercise and throughout the training period.

A spokesperson said the support of local people is appreciated: “These exercises are essential for maintaining readiness and ensuring our troops are fully trained for any future operational requirement.”

Crime

Two Milford Haven men sent to Crown Court on GBH charges

Published

1 hour ago

November 18, 2025

Court Reporter

The incident stems from a violent incident outside The Vibe public house, Milford Haven involving three men – a woman was also wounded in the incident

TWO Milford Haven men have been sent to Swansea Crown Court charged with section 18 wounding after an alleged incident in the town on November 15.

David McCallum, 41, of Plas Peregrine, Steynton, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates court on Monday (Nov 17). He is accused of unlawfully and maliciously wounding a woman in Milford Haven with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

McCallum also faces a second section 18 charge alleging that, on the same date in Milford Haven, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded a man with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

He was represented by solicitor Tom Lloyd, with the prosecution conducted by Nia James.

On Tuesday (Nov 18), Nathan Abbott, 31, also of Plas Peregrine, Steynton, appeared before District Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest magistrates court.

Abbott is charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding a man in Milford Haven on November 15 with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

He was represented by Mike Kelleher, of Welch & Co.

Abbott also gave no plea, and his case was likewise sent to Swansea Crown Court under section 51 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Both McCallum and Abbott were remanded on conditional bail.

McCallum’s bail conditions include a curfew from 7:00pm to 7:00am, to be electronically monitored, not to contact directly or indirectly witnesses, and not to enter any public house, licensed club or off-licence.

Abbott’s bail conditions include living and sleeping each night at his home address , not to contact witnesses directly or indirectly, and not to enter licensed premises.

Both men must appear for a Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing at Swansea Crown Court on December 19, 2025, at 9:00am.

No pre-sentence reports were ordered and no indication was given regarding any victim personal statements at this stage.

Crime

Aberystwyth man remanded after admitting cocaine supply

Published

1 hour ago

November 18, 2025

Court Reporter

Case sent to Swansea Crown Court for sentencing

AN ABERYSTWYTH man has been remanded in custody after admitting possessing cocaine with intent to supply and having £7,000 in criminal cash.

Luke Hutton, 25, of Corporation Street, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Nov 17) for his first hearing. The case was heard by a bench of Mr J Steadman, Mrs M Scott and Mr R John. He was represented by Jessica Hill and Mike Kelleher, while the prosecution was led by Nia James.

Hutton pleaded guilty to two offences arising from a police incident at Yr Hafan, Princess Street, Aberystwyth, on November 14.

The first charge was possessing £7,000 in criminal property, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The second was possessing a quantity of cocaine, a Class A drug, with intent to supply.

Magistrates were told that Hutton indicated guilty pleas to both matters on the day of his appearance.

Because of the seriousness of the charges, the bench committed the case to Swansea Crown Court for sentence under Section 14 of the Sentencing Act 2020. A pre-sentence report has been ordered.

Magistrates refused bail, citing the likelihood of further offending, the seriousness of the offences and the likely custodial sentence. Hutton was remanded into custody.

He will next appear at Swansea Crown Court on December 1, 2025, at 9:00am, for a committal for sentence hearing, listed for 30 minutes.