News

Haverfordwest: Optician recognised in national awards

Published

6 years ago

January 4, 2019

A HAVERFORDWEST optician has been recognised at a national awards ceremony for his dedication to improving local and national eye health.

Andy Britton, ophthalmic director at Specsavers in Haverfordwest, was one of just two Specsavers directors in the UK to receive an award at Specsavers’ Awards for Excellence after dedicating the past decade of his career to advancing enhanced optical services.

Enhanced optical services refer to the additional training undertaken by optometrists and other eye health professionals to improve their clinical abilities and knowledge, boosting patients’ treatment.

Mr Britton said: “To be recognised at such a prominent ceremony in front of my optical peers and colleagues within my industry was an unforgettable experience. I’m over the moon.

“As a practice, our focus remains on working with other opticians, local health boards and doctors surgeries to reduce the list of patients waiting for eye health assessments. Eye care is evolving to meet increased demand. It is essential we keep learning and upskilling to ensure our patients get the best possible care.”

Mr Britton has played an essential role in better treating eye health-related issues, not only in his community but also the broader optometry field.

He is currently assisting with the development of a pathology course in London, which will be used to train other Specsavers optometrists across the UK, and he is also a proactive member of Optometry Wales’ Regional Optical Committee.

He has also completed postgraduate qualifications in glaucoma, improving his diagnosis and management of the condition, and he has recently completed an independent prescribing course, which enables him to advise GPs on treatment and will eventually allow him to prescribe directly to patients – further relieving pressure on local GP clinics.

Paul Morris, director of professional advancement at Specsavers, said: “His commitment to educating optometrists; pioneering services; working with health boards, Optometry Wales and the Specsavers group; while also leading his team, is exemplary. He has also played an unsung role in system and environment design that has benefited innumerable colleagues to better serve patients.”

Specsavers’ biennial awards, held in Birmingham, celebrated the optical achievements of its stores across the country. It received 238 entries in 13 different categories including excellence in overall performance and clinical excellence. More than 1,000 Specsavers staff from across the UK attended the ceremony, which was hosted by actor James Nesbitt.

News

Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home

Published

1 hour ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.

Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.

PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”

This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.

News

Milford Haven man caught with indecent images of children spared jail

Published

1 hour ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A MILFORD HAVEN man, Gareth MacDonald, 23, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to downloading over 1,000 indecent images of children.

MacDonald, of Meyler Crescent, was arrested in March 2023 following a police search of his home. Acting on intelligence, officers seized multiple electronic devices, and MacDonald admitted to downloading the illegal images.

Swansea Crown Court heard that MacDonald accessed material spanning all severity categories, including images depicting the rape of pre-teen children.

He reportedly told police he had “become bored with legal pornography” roughly a year prior to his arrest.

Judge Geraint Walters sentenced MacDonald to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. As part of the sentence, MacDonald must:

Complete 20 rehabilitation activity days
Participate in the Horizon programme
Register as a sex offender for 10 years
Comply with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order

Judge Walters remarked that MacDonald had been accessing illegal content “for some considerable period of time” despite knowing it was wrong.

However, MacDonald, who has health problems, dodged being sent to jail and was able to leave the court a free man.

Crime

Ceredigion man sentenced for selling £150,000 in illegal DVDs

Published

1 hour ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A CEREDIGION man has been sentenced for selling counterfeit DVDs worth £150,000 under major brand names without authorization.

David Robert Thomas, 47, from Sarnau, ran a sophisticated online operation, producing and selling fake DVDs labeled with brands like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Sony, and Universal City Studios LLC. Thomas used seven different websites and managed multiple bank and PayPal accounts, including those of family members, to carry out his business.

Councillor Matthew Vaux, Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Counterfeiting is often thought of as a victimless crime, but it harms the local economy by undermining legitimate businesses that pay taxes and create real jobs. This result sends a clear message that counterfeit sales will not be tolerated, and we will act against offenders.”

Thomas pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Nov 11) and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. His sentence includes a four-month curfew and fifteen Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

Under the Crime Act 2002, forfeiture proceedings will follow to reclaim the financial benefits from Thomas’s criminal activities. Judge Richards took into account the market value of equivalent genuine goods, the sophisticated setup of Thomas’s business, and his previously clean record in reaching the sentencing decision.

The case was brought forward successfully by Ceredigion County Council’s Trading Standards Service.