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News

Historic hotel ready to welcome new owner

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ALTHOUGH reputed to have a history going back as far as 1625, Hotel Mariners in Haverfordwest has been more reliably dated to 1729 – heyday of the Georgian coaching Inn.

Whatever its true age, this comfortable, well-appointed Grade II listed property in the town centre has remained the principal hotel in Haverfordwest and is now on the market with Colliers International with offers invited in the region of £1 million.

Peter Brunt, a director in Colliers International’s Hotels Agency team, said Hotel Mariners had been in the same family for three generations, but younger members of the family are looking to other careers so the hotel is on the market for the first time since 1981.

“This gives potential operators an opportunity to purchase a fully functioning business in this key regional town,” he said.

“Hotel Mariners is a real all-rounder, serving both locals and visitors and is frequently used for weddings and other functions.”

“Haverfordwest is at the hub of a lovely corner of Pembrokeshire and provides a great base for prospective owners.  In addition to being a great place to live and work, the accounts for year ending October 2017 show net sales of £707,382 which resulted in a tidy profit.”

The landmark hotel has 27 letting bedrooms and, crucially for this part of Pembrokeshire, a large car park, although it also benefits from being within walking distance of local shops, supermarkets and leisure facilities.

The main hotel was constructed in the 18th century with alterations in the 20th Century – more recently the lounge bar has been fully refurbished and caters for around 45 people. The restaurant is arranged over two floors with 64 covers. In addition, there is a first floor, theatre-style conference room.

Peter Brunt said: “The former meeting room is presently used as a ladies clothing shop – on sale, a six month lease will be granted to allow this use to continue until an alternative venue is found.

“Next door to the hotel is a three-bedroom house with a common boundary, which is available by separate negotiation. This property is not currently used as part of the business but could be used as an owners’ home or for staff accommodation.”

He added: “Haverfordwest is the ancient county town of Pembrokeshire and acts as a hub for people to explore the surrounding region, with good connections to Fishguard, Cardigan, Milford Haven, Narberth, Carmarthen and Tenby.”

Crime

West Wales Farmer groomed teenage girl using cash and manipulation

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A MIDDLE-AGED farmer has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after grooming a teenage girl, coercing her into sending intimate pictures and videos.

David Lewis, 50, met the then 14-year-old girl at a farm in August 2021 and later added her on Facebook. Prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins told the court: “After a few months of messaging, the defendant sent [the girl] a picture of his penis.”

Lewis from the West Carmarthenshire village of Llanboidy, manipulated the girl into sending explicit images, begging her to comply and telling her: “If you loved me, you would send me photographs.” He also sent her £120 over four separate occasions and told her she could live with him when she turned 16.

Explicit videos exchanged on Snapchat

Ms. Smith-Higgins said Lewis sent “five or six” videos of himself masturbating via Snapchat. When he asked the girl to send similar videos, she initially refused, saying she was about to leave home. However, Lewis checked her Snapchat location, discovered she was not going out, and continued to pressure her until she sent a video.

The girl later attempted to deter Lewis by telling him that the police were tracking her phone. Despite this, Lewis persisted, sending her three sexual photos and two explicit videos of himself.

Discovery and arrest

The girl’s mother became suspicious and checked her daughter’s phone, discovering explicit pictures of Lewis. Police were alerted, and Lewis was arrested on July 22, 2022.

During their investigation, officers found deleted photos of the girl on Lewis’s phone and messages where he told her: “Delete all Snapchats. Have police interview” and “Delete your photos.”

Lewis denied any wrongdoing during his police interview, claiming there had been no communication between him and the girl and that there would be no images of her on his phone. However, officers recovered three Category A images – the most severe classification – and six Category C images of the girl.

Court proceedings

Lewis, pleaded guilty to causing a child to watch a sexual act, sexual communication with a child, and two counts of making indecent images of a child.

Hannah George, representing Lewis, told the court that he had no prior convictions and had not reoffended since the incidents. She argued that a suspended sentence was appropriate, stating: “The probation service has assessed that an immediate custodial sentence would have limited impact, as it would not allow Mr. Lewis to complete the rehabilitation courses he desperately needs.”

Ms. George also cited delays in the case coming to court.

Sentencing

Judge Geraint Walters described Lewis’s actions as calculated and predatory. “The reality is that you were grooming her,” he said. “You are 50 years of age and should know better. You knew what you were doing was wrong.”

Lewis was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 35 sessions of an accredited rehabilitation programme and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He must register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period. The court also imposed an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim.

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News

Ambitious Pembrokeshire wildlife centre plans approved

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PLANS to modernise the Welsh Wildlife Centre near Cardigan with a new public entrance and a raft of other works which will make it more accessible to all have been approved Pembrokeshire County Council.

The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales sought permission for a long list of changes at the Welsh Wildlife Centre, Cilgerran, including an extension to the visitor centre building and associated works, with a new public entrance, a new pathway connection, reconfiguration of the vehicle turning area and disabled parking bays, a replacement footbridge, and the introduction of ‘Brise Soleil’ to the south and west.

A supporting statement, by Childs Sulzmann Architects, said: “The visitor centre was built in the 1990s with an award-winning concept design. However, the usability of the building and some elements of its condition have deteriorated over the years, requiring modernisation.

“In particular, access to the visitor centre for people on the approach to the building is confusing and unclear, with external entrance doors provided at each side of the building. For instance, visitors can often be found in the offices on the lower ground floor level by mistake, whilst looking for the shop or café which are provided on the upper floors.”

The Welsh Wildlife Centre welcomes an average of 70,000 visitors per year, the statement saying: “This important local facility and visitor attraction will be enhanced and improved, by providing a clear and legible single entrance to the building, together with re-configured accessible parking bays and a platform lift for wheelchair users and ambulant disabled people to directly access the new public entrance.

“Further improvements to accessibility, which include the new external stairway to the open terrace and public entrance, the widened replacement footbridge and the connecting path to link the accessible parking area with the main footpath to the visitor centre, will contribute to the principles of promoting and providing access for all.”

Plans for a new play area at the Welsh Wildlife Centre near Cardigan were recently approved by Pembrokeshire County Council.

The latest proposals were conditionally approved by county planners.

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News

Haverfordwest paedophile who was on Jeremy Kyle show, jailed

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ADRIAN JOHN THOMAS, 31, was sentenced to three years in prison last month for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) four times and failing to comply with notification requirements.

Thomas, who now has no fixed address, was originally issued the SHPO and a notification order in 2017 following his conviction for a serious child sexual offence. The court heard that he had breached the SHPO on 15 separate occasions, including his latest offences.

Upon his release from prison in October 2023, Thomas, who is well known in Haverfordwest for his ‘love rat’ appearance on the Jeremy Kyle show, initially moved to an approved address in Swansea. However, by January 2024, he relocated to Pembrokeshire, moving in with his mother, who lives in sheltered housing. Despite this, Thomas falsely registered with the police as having no fixed address, thereby violating his notification requirements.

Thomas further breached the SHPO by taking control of his mother’s iPhone against her wishes, locking it with a PIN and facial recognition. He then used the device to create two Instagram accounts, a Gmail account, and a Facebook account—all actions prohibited under the terms of the order. The court was told his actions caused significant distress to his mother, leaving her feeling trapped and powerless.

During sentencing at Swansea Crown Court on December 19, Thomas admitted to the breaches and the notification offence. His defence argued that he had moved in with his mother due to a lack of alternative accommodation and expressed remorse for his actions, adding that he had sought support for his mental health.

Judge Paul Thomas KC strongly condemned Thomas’s behaviour, stating:
“You seem completely determined to breach the sexual harm prevention order imposed after your conviction for a serious child sexual offence.
“You lied to police about where you were living. You used your mother’s phone against her wishes despite her begging you not to do so. You were on licence from an earlier offence.
“You have amassed a very bad record for offences of this type. You appear undeterrable in your refusal to abide by the sexual harm prevention order.”

Thomas was sentenced to a total of three years in prison for his latest offences.

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