News

Councillor blocked from asking questions at Full Council

Published

8 years ago

April 27, 2018

A COUNCILLOR’S quest to find out why the council is spending so much money on agency staff to cover a lack of social workers in Pembrokeshire has hit a stumbling block. The member says it is because officers don’t want him to be asking awkward questions about poor planning and management regarding out of hours mental health social work.

Cllr Paul Dowson, who represents Pembroke Dock Central ward has told The Herald that temporary staff are being charged to the cash strapped Authority at £50 to £60 per hour, plus agency fees – but little or nothing is being done to recruit full time social workers, to assist with the long term care of local people in need.

Cllr Dowson submitted questions to be raised at the Full Council meeting on Thursday, May 10.

He is questioning how much money has been spent on out of hours social workers (Approved Mental Health Professionals) per year.

Cllr Dowson also wants to know what is being done to recruit for the posts, and what is being done to address the poor management complaints that the leavers were making.

However the legal officer for the council, Claire Incledon, has ruled that the questions were too late and cannot be raised at the meeting next week – because the questions were received at 1.34am on May 25 and not before midnight on May 24.

Cllr Dowson said: “This 94 minute delay, probably caused by the councils own servers being slow, makes no actual difference to the Authority as Committee Services do not work during the night. I have also had it on good authority that amendments or corrections to at least one other member’s questions were accepted the next working day – clearly showing that the council is trying to hide something or has a problem with me.”

He added: “I have also submitted a question about fly-tipping and dog fouling. The council has not had anyone qualified to issue fines or penalties to people fly tipping or dog fouling in the Local Authority area. With the summer coming up and holiday makers on the way, we need to get dog fouling under control – and we have all seen on social media the disgusting level of fly-tipping recently – but not one person in the Local Authority is qualified to enforce the law. That is wrong.”

“As a councillor I have been working tirelessly to get an enforcement officer for the last twelve months, and frustratingly so far this has not happened. My second question to Full Council, which also has not been accepted, sought to address this issue. It cannot wait until the July meeting as by then we will be well into the summer.

“The council needs to stop hiding behind petty excuses and archaic bureaucracy, and allow members to ask the questions which are important for the county. I understand there is a need for rules and deadlines, but an email received minutes late is not important to the people of Pembrokeshire – but tens of thousands of pounds being wasted on agency staff covering a lack of social workers who are mental health trained, dogs fouling in an important tourist area with no one to enforce the law, and a fly-tipping problem which we are nowhere to having a grip on is important to the people of Pembrokeshire!

“I know I am not popular with some officers in the Council because I am not a nodding donkey and don’t toe the line. A couple of weeks ago I was in a meeting the Chief Executive’s office and for some reason the Council’s Legal Officer Claire Incledon was present. She butted in to the conversation, in my view, unfairly, and I told her that ‘I didn’t give a f**k about her legal opinion.’

“Officers need to remember that it is not the tail which wags the dog, but the dog that wags the tail. This is now an officer led council, and we the democratically elected representatives of the people need our voice to be heard at Full Council on important issues. It is not a nodding shop for retired professionals to cover their funeral plans, but the collective voice of Pembrokeshire.”

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

5 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

6 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

12 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.