News

Mum of four feels ‘betrayed’ following partner’s death

Published

6 years ago

November 23, 2018

Andrew Rodick: Died in India in 2014

A HAVERFORDWEST woman says she feels she has been betrayed by the UK Government, after her partner died at the age of 40 in suspicious circumstances in India in April 2014.

Alison Barker, a mother of four, says the Foreign Office did not support her after she was told her partner, Andrew Raymond Rodick, was found ‘badly decomposed’ wrapped inside a bed sheet, blue plastic bags and carpet next to a marketplace in New Dehli.

He had been in India for two months, which included stays in Mumbai, Goa and New Dehli.

Following a post-mortem, it was found that Mr Rodick died from deep injuries on his head and face, which were inflicted by heavy objects. It was suspected he was tortured before he died, as he was found with his hands and feet tied together, and there were burns found on his arms, head and face, thought to have been caused by cigarette stubs and a lighter.

He was identified by his passport, which was found ‘badly damaged’ inside his pocket.

Indian police first treated his death as potentially drug related, however said they didn’t have ‘any clues’, except that they knew more than one person had been involved in his murder.

Ms Barker says that she felt pressured by the Foreign Office to agree to his cremation in India, stating they were ‘absolutely useless’. She also had to pay a £1,500 bill in order to have his body cremated, and have his ashes returned to the UK.

Alison Barker: Still struggles to talk about Andrew’s death

Speaking to the BBC, she said: “I was by myself with three children and there was no help, nobody came round and said ‘this is what you have to do now’. I was grieving and making an attempt to be strong for my children.”

Ms Barker found out about her partner’s death when two Dyfed-Powys Police officers attended her home address to inform her. She obtained a partial copy of the post-mortem report two years later, after appealing to local MP, Stephen Crabb to help her. However, it didn’t detail any toxicology results or the cause of his death.

She was sent the remaining details from the post-mortem last week – more than four years after her partner was murdered. However, it stated that Mr Rodick passed away after being poisoned by pregbalin: A drug used to treat epilepsy and anxiety.

The drug was found in Mr Rodick’s jeans pocket.

Ms Barker has said she does not accept the findings of the report given to her by the Foreign Office, and is upset and angry that it took her so long to receive the report in the first place.

At the time Mr Rodick died, Ms Barker was left with twin 9-year-old girls and a 7-year-old son. She had been in a relationship with Mr Barker for 12 years.

She said: “He loved his children. He was a family man, he loved walking the dog, music trips. He made my autistic son a bow and arrow out of sticks.

“He would take the kids swimming and took them to Legoland – he did a lot of ‘dad and son’ things, putting him on his shoulders and taking him to the park.”

A friend of Mr Rodick’s, Mr Tynan, added: “He was always really nice to me. We spoke on Facebook but I didn’t know why he had decided to go over to India. For this to happen to him is really disgusting. I can’t believe anyone would do anything to someone like that.

“When you don’t know someone and you hear news like this you think ‘how tragic, but when you know that person it hits you a lot harder.

A spokesperson from The Foreign Office said: “Where a death has occurred in violent circumstance, we will raise our interest with the local authority in the relevant country and request regular updates on any investigation or trial.

“We welcome feedback from British nationals who have received consular assistance and use that feedback to improve our services and staff training so we can provide the best possible assistance.”

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

Published

5 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

5 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”