Case sent to Crown Court as magistrates rule offences too serious

A PEMBROKE man who indicated he intends to plead guilty to a series of child sex offences has been sent to the Crown Court for sentencing.

David Lewis, 42, of Ashdale Lane in Pembroke, first appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on January 30, where he indicated guilty pleas to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause or incite a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

A further charge of attempting to cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity was also put to him.

Magistrates ruled the case was too serious to be dealt with at their level and committed Lewis to Swansea Crown Court for sentencing.

The offences relate to online communications with what Lewis believed to be a 12-year-old girl, but which was in fact a decoy account.

Prosecutors said Lewis reached out to the account and continued messaging over several days in November.

During the exchanges he falsely claimed to be 20 years old and sent a photograph of a young male who was not him.

When the decoy account indicated the user was in school, Lewis continued to message and asked if he could see the girl in her school uniform. He also suggested she go to the toilet at school and open her shirt so he could see her.

The court heard Lewis also attempted to get the child to watch adult content and asked about meeting either her or a friend.

Police arrested Lewis on January 29 and took him to Haverfordwest police station, where his mobile phone was seized and linked to the Snapchat account used in the communications. During interview he answered “no comment” to police questions.

Further investigation of his devices uncovered indecent images of children. Officers seized seven devices, one of which contained 261 Category A images, 71 Category B images, and 51 Category C images.

Lewis has as one previous conviction for handling stolen goods. He had been on police bail since August 6 while officers investigated the offences.

At a recent hearing the case was adjourned for four weeks, with the judge indicating a suspended sentence may be considered.

Lewis was granted bail and is due to appear again at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing on April 9.

Liberal Democrats claim Welsh Labour failing to deliver after 26 years in power

A LEAKED memo reportedly sent by the Prime Minister to his Cabinet has triggered fresh political debate over the future of devolution in Wales.

The memo, attributed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is said to outline how the UK Government should interact with the devolved administrations across the United Kingdom, including Wales.

The details of the document have not been fully published, but critics claim it suggests that the UK Government could seek ways of working around devolved governments in certain circumstances.

The comments prompted a response from Jane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, who said the row highlights wider tensions within Labour over how devolution is managed.

Ms Dodds said: “After 26 years of Welsh Labour running Wales and a Labour government now in Westminster, the public is watching Labour argue with itself over devolution instead of getting on with the job.

“Trying to bypass the Senedd from Westminster is the wrong approach. But it’s also clear that Welsh Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay have too often failed to deliver the results people in Wales deserve.”

She added that the Welsh Liberal Democrats believe the problem lies not with the devolved institutions themselves but with how they have been run.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will save devolution from Welsh Labour’s record and restore people’s trust in the Welsh Parliament,” she said. “It isn’t the Senedd that’s broken, it’s Welsh Labour’s management of it.”

The Welsh Parliament, commonly known as the Senedd, has held devolved powers over areas such as health, education and transport since it was established following the 1997 referendum on Welsh devolution.

Welsh Labour has been the dominant governing party in Cardiff Bay since the Senedd was created, either governing alone or in cooperation with other parties.

The alleged memo has raised questions about how the UK Government intends to work with devolved administrations, particularly at a time when the same party holds power in both Westminster and Cardiff Bay.

The UK Government has not yet issued detailed comment on the contents of the leaked document.

Judge says victim had no idea his offer of assistance was driven by sexual motive

A CARMARTHENSHIRE pensioner has been jailed after sexually assaulting a vulnerable teenage girl he pretended to help in a town centre.

Nigel Page, 68, of Ger-y-Capel in Llangain near Carmarthen, was sentenced to 10 years in prison at Swansea Crown Court after being convicted of sexual assault.

The court heard Page encountered the heavily intoxicated teenager in Carmarthen town centre in August last year. The girl needed somewhere to charge her phone and Page offered to take her back to his home, presenting himself as a good Samaritan willing to help.

However, once inside the property, the situation quickly escalated.

Prosecutors said Page removed his clothes and put on a pair of stockings and a thong before pushing the teenager to the floor. He then kissed her and rubbed his crotch against her stomach before sexually assaulting her.

Fearing she was about to be raped, the girl managed to escape from the house and flagged down a passing motorist who gave her a lift back into town.

The court heard that Page also left the property and returned to Carmarthen in search of the teenager, although his reason for doing so was never established.

Page denied the offence but was found guilty by a jury following a trial.

Defending, Dyfed Thomas told the court that a mental health disorder had played a role in what he described as the defendant’s “irrational and bizarre” behaviour that night.

Sentencing him, Judge Catherine Richards said the teenager had been extremely vulnerable and unable to make sensible decisions when she accepted Page’s offer of help.

She said the victim had no idea his apparent act of kindness was motivated by sexual attraction.

The judge also told the court that Page had shown little genuine insight into his actions and had been refusing to take medication for his mental health condition.

Given the erratic behaviour he displayed during the evening, Judge Richards said she was satisfied there had been an “ulterior motive” behind Page’s decision to go back into Carmarthen to search for the girl after she fled.

Page was sentenced to 10 years in prison and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.