16-month sentence suspended as court imposes sex offender registration and ten-year prevention order

MAN in his sixties has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Huw Bridges, aged 65, of Haven Drive, Hakin, appeared at Swansea Crown Court today (Friday, Feb 20) for sentencing following a trial last month.

Bridges had denied two counts of sexual assault but was found guilty by a jury after around two-and-a-half hours of deliberations.

He was sentenced to sixteen months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. The court also imposed 180 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of 25 days.

Bridges was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting ten years.

The offences related to incidents involving a teenage girl who was aged 16 at the time.

During the trial, prosecutor Hannah George told the jury that one incident took place on June 2, 2024, when the complainant was taken by Bridges on his motorbike to a secluded area near Carew Castle.

The pair went for a walk, during which Bridges kissed the teenager despite her trying to move away and telling him she felt uncomfortable. He then went on to touch her breasts and vagina over her clothing.

The jury was told the teenager reported the incident to her parents almost immediately after returning home. At that point she also disclosed an earlier allegation dating from between October 2020 and October 2021, in which Bridges was accused of touching her vagina over her clothing on another occasion.

“The prosecution’s case is that the defendant had a sexual interest in teenage girls,” Ms George told the jury.

Bridges was arrested on June 14, 2024, and later interviewed by police. In a prepared statement he denied sexually assaulting the complainant.

He accepted there had been physical contact but claimed he had only put his arm around the teenager and “pecked her on the cheek” in an attempt to comfort her, insisting the gesture was not sexual in nature.

After the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts, Judge Geraint Walters adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report before imposing sentence today.

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD is inviting nominations for some of the festival’s most prestigious honours. Nominations are open until 1 April for the Sir TH Parry-Williams Medal, the R Alun Medal and the Science and Technology Medal.

A fund was established in 1975 to commemorate Syr TH Parry Williams’ contribution to Eisteddfod activities. This year marks fifty years since the medal was first presented to honour individuals who have carried out outstanding work in their community. This year’s award is given by Menter Iaith Sir Benfro for voluntary work to support young people in Wales.

Encouraging people to nominate outstanding individuals who have contributed to their community, Betsan Moses, the Eisteddfod’s Chief Executive, said: “The closing date for some of our most prestigious awards is fast approaching. I know that there are many in Wales who fully deserve the honour.

“This year is an important one as we celebrate fifty years since the Syr TH Parry-Williams Medal was awarded for the first time, in memory of someone who did so much during his life for the language, our culture and the Eisteddfod. We’re grateful to Menter Iaith Sir Benfro for donating the medal this year and encourage people to nominate.”

The R Alun Medal was first awarded last year at the Wrexham Eisteddfod in memory of the late R Alun Evans who was a key figure in developing the festival. The medal is presented to a person who has made a real contribution to supporting, sustaining and enriching the culture of their local area. The 2026 medal will be presented in memory of Martyn and Meryl Lloyd.

The Science and Technology Medal is given in memory of Dr Glyn O Phillips for the first time this year, he was the first winner of the medal and a pioneer in his field. For over twenty years, the medal has recognised the contribution of individuals who have made an impression in the field of science and technology through the medium of Welsh.

The Eisteddfod hopes that nominations will come from across Wales again this year to celebrate those people who have made a real difference in their communities and had an impact in their fields.

A RARE Welsh habitat that once covered much of Britain’s west coast is set to make a comeback in Pembrokeshire, as work begins to restore temperate rainforest at a wildlife site in North Pembrokeshire.

The project is taking place at Trellwyn Fach, a 146-acre reserve managed by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, as part of a UK-wide rainforest recovery programme led by The Wildlife Trusts in partnership with Aviva. Temperate rainforests — characterised by moss-covered trees, lichens and humid conditions — now cover less than one per cent of the UK.

The long-term initiative aims to restore and reconnect remaining fragments of rainforest habitat across the British Isles over the next 100 years.

Adam Dawson, Senior Conservation Officer with The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, said early work on the site may appear disruptive but would quickly settle.

“During the initial site preparation and planting it can look a bit messy with diggers and vehicles on site, but after a few months the peace will return and over the years a wonderful moss-felted forest will emerge, just like it had always been there,” he said.

First trees planted

The first trees have now been planted at Trellwyn Fach, marking the start of efforts to restore broadleaved woodland across around two-thirds of the site.

By the spring, approximately 50,000 native trees are expected to be planted. The aim is to create a nationally important habitat linking existing woodland in the Gwaun Valley, forming a larger and more connected landscape for wildlife.

Heavy machinery is currently on site constructing a new access track, which will allow visitors to explore the reserve once it opens to the public later this year. The Trust also plans a programme of community events linked to woodland restoration.

Research partnership

Part of the site is being used for research in partnership with Bangor University, focusing on how to accelerate rainforest regeneration, particularly in areas dominated by bracken.

Scientists are also studying how much carbon temperate rainforest can store, both in soils and tree canopies, to better understand its potential contribution to climate change mitigation.

Environmental benefits

Once established, the restored woodland is expected to capture significant amounts of carbon, help regulate water flow in local catchments — reducing both flood and drought risk — and provide habitat for a wide range of species, including the elusive pine marten.

Mr Dawson added: “Now we’ve started, it’s exciting to imagine what Trellwyn Fach will look like in ten, fifty and one hundred years’ time, as a rainforest thriving with life for people and wildlife to benefit from.”

The project has been made possible through a £38 million donation from Aviva to The Wildlife Trusts to support rainforest recovery across the UK.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales is the largest wildlife conservation charity operating exclusively in South and West Wales, working to protect habitats and help people better understand and enjoy the natural environment.