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Jury out in chip shop murder trial

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THE JURY has retired to consider its verdict regarding the trial of a man who is charged with murdering his wife with a chip shop fryer.

Geoffrey Bran, aged 70 from Hermon in Carmarthenshire, is accused of murdering his wife Mavis on October 23 last year, and is alleged to have thrown scalding hot oil over her from a deep fat fryer, which gave her widespread burns and lead to her death later in hospital.

He had also burnt his own hand when he tried to help her remove her jumper, which was saturated in the boiling hot oil, by trying to pull it over her head.

Earlier this week, Bran gave evidence to the court in his own defence. He told the court that there would be arguments about nothing after his wife would drink alcohol and have ‘spells of paranoia moments’ in the day, but claimed he had never hit his wife during a confrontation. He said that Mavis would start drinking early, and would consume two and a half bottles of red wine.

Bran told the court they opened the Chipoteria because Mavis was doing some meals for elderly people in the village, and didn’t like retirement because she was always on the go. He said he built a cabin next to the caravan, which took around a year, because Mavis desperately wanted to open in January. He said he would clean and blanch chips, fry them, and clean the equipment after. Mavis would cook fish and pies, and make sauces.

On the day that Mavis died, Bran said Mavis was in a good mood, but had been drinking from around 9.30am that day. He said she consumed a brandy with two neighbours, and he didn’t notice anything different about her behaviour when she had been drinking.

Bran spoke about an order, for which his wife said the fat wasn’t good enough to cook the fish in. He said: “I said you may as well use my friers, I use you for chips, but you have to turn them down because they’re a bit high for fish.”

He claimed that shortly afterwards, she looking into the fryer and told him he had overdone them. He said: “I didn’t know I was meant to look after them. She said she was coming back straight away.”

With that, he said Mavis took the fish out with tongs and tossed them into a tray, resulting in a ‘waterfall of fat’. He told her he had seen worse on plates, and said he believed she wasn’t going to serve them.

He went on to describe that he went to blanch some chips, but happened to turn around to see that Mavis had fallen, and her head was about nine inches away from the floor.

He said: “I hadn’t seen her falling because I wasn’t looking at that point. I turned around and saw her flying to the floor. In the corner of my eye I could see the fat fryer moving on the table as if in slow motion, but it wasn’t slow motion. At the moment I was going to move I could see the legs … instantly the legs fell off the edge and the weight of the oil tipped the whole thing forwards the whole two tubs came out in one whoosh.

“Once the legs got over the edge the weight of the oil must have moved things fast without the tubs coming out and it was like a waterfall and landed on her chest.

“By this time now the whole unit was going through the air and landing on top of her, pulling the sockets out.”

He continued: “I grabbed her arm, grabbed her other arm, pulled her to a sitting position, and lift all her clothes off. I didn’t know whether I was doing the right thing to be honest. I just thought get the clothes off. She was wearing a thick jumper and a t-shirt underneath. Usually she wears a kitchen apron, but because we had guests that day she had forgotten to change.

“I grabbed the bottom of the jumper and pulled it off her head. I think the jumper came into contact with her face.”

When asked if he felt any pain, he said he couldn’t remember, and was trying to get her clothes off her.

He said: “I walk round her, grab her two arms and pull her to a standing condition. I pulled her to the slabs outside. At that point I forgot I didn’t have a phone. I’d forgotten to bring it down in the morning. We always took the mobile phone back to the house in the night to charge it.”

Bran said he told her to run up the house in order to call an ambulance. He said: “She screamed up the path. She was in shock but she knew what was happening. I could see her arms were peeling. That’s about it really because all the rest was quite red.”

When asked why he didn’t go with her or why he didn’t comfort her, she said he didn’t know and was ‘totally stumped’.

The court heard how when a customer came in, Bran told them there had been an accident, but when he said he could go to Newcastle Emlyn, he said he would serve him. He said that Mavis was in a dressing gown shaking, and her face was white.

Bran was kept in custody until October 24. He was asked if he visited Mavis in hospital, but said he was told he was not allowed to.

He said he wanted to see her to say goodbye, and told the court that he misses her every day.

During cross examination, Bran was pressed as to why he didn’t comfort his wife of 30 years and ask about how she was. He told the court he ‘couldn’t face it’, but couldn’t say why.

He claimed that his wife deliberately lied to paramedics and blamed him for burning her. He said ‘they are all lies’, and said that she would always make things up and blamed him for everything.

Bran was asked, if he had helped to remove Mavis’ clothing, why he didn’t have burns on both hands. He couldn’t answer.

The court heard that Mavis suffered 46% burns to her total body area. The burns were both partial and full thickness.

The front of her body mostly suffered from full thickness burns, including her torso, thigh and neck. Her eyes were closed when she suffered the partial thickness burns to her face. Her eyelids were burned, but not her eyes themselves. There were no burns to the back of her hands, her palms or her fingers, but there were to her inner forearms. They were likely secondary burns, caused by the removal of her clothing.

The burns proved to be fatal when her condition deteriorated. As a result, the burns she suffered caused her death.

The jury retired at 12.51pm on Monday (Nov 18) to consider the case. Judge Paul Thomas QC, said: “Members of the jury I am now going to ask you to retire and consider your verdict in this case. There is no pressure of time. Take as short or as long time as needs be. As far as today is concerned, if you have reached a verdict that is well and good; if you haven’t you will be sent home and return tomorrow.”

The jury has since retired and the court awaits a verdict.

Community

Police operation in St Florence after girl goes missing

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A LARGE police response was launched in St Florence on Sunday morning (Apr 6) following reports of a missing child.

Emergency services, including multiple police vehicles and a helicopter, were seen speeding to the quiet Pembrokeshire village shortly after 10:00am with sirens sounding.

The Herald understands that the missing person was a six-year-old girl, and that officers began immediate door-to-door inquiries in an effort to locate her.

One local resident said: “Police knocked on my door at around 10:30am saying a six-year-old was missing and they were concerned. They were asking for any information and knocking on all the properties.”

Another witness added: “I saw a police helicopter just after ten-o-clock in the morning. There was so much police activity— so many police cars.”

Fortunately, the girl was found safe and well a short time later.

Tenby, Saundersfoot and Narberth Police posted an update on social media, saying: “There has been a large police presence in St Florence this morning following a report of a missing person.

“We can confirm that the person has been located safe and well.

“Thank you to the local community for their support and patience.”

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Health

New patient deal aims to cut NHS waiting times across Wales

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A NEW deal between the NHS and the public is at the centre of a plan to drive down the longest waiting times for healthcare in Wales.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles is expected to unveil a strategy this week aimed at reducing the overall waiting list by 200,000 patients by March 2026. The plan also sets targets to eliminate two-year waits for planned treatments and restore a maximum eight-week wait for diagnostic tests.

A key part of the announcement is the introduction of a new “patient deal”, which aims to improve transparency, reduce missed appointments and ensure better preparation for surgery. This deal will be incorporated into updated referral-to-treatment guidelines due later this month.

What the new deal includes:

  • Faster access to planned care with patients told how long they can expect to wait once added to the list.
  • Waiting time tracking through the NHS Wales App, with updates available from June.
  • Only fit and well patients will be added to surgical waiting lists, in line with evidence showing they recover more quickly and have better outcomes.
  • Support to get surgery-ready, with help to improve health before treatment.
  • Appointment changes, where patients will be offered two dates. If they miss both without good reason, they will be removed from the waiting list.
  • Alternatives and risks explained, so patients are fully informed before deciding on surgery.

Each year, around 700,000 outpatient appointments in Wales are either missed by patients or cancelled. Health boards will now be under stricter obligations to reduce these disruptions, and to minimise the number of cancellations made by the NHS itself.

Mr Miles said: “The NHS will do all it can to prioritise faster access to treatment. In return, we are asking the public to prioritise and keep their appointments so that, together, we make the best possible use of scarce NHS resources.

“We cannot continue losing one in seven appointments due to no-shows or other avoidable reasons. These missed slots delay care for everyone and waste vital resources.

“Evidence shows people in better health recover more quickly and require shorter hospital stays. By preparing patients properly and ensuring they understand all treatment options, we can deliver better outcomes and greater efficiency.”

The Welsh Government hopes the new plan will bring waiting lists closer to pre-pandemic levels. As well as reducing overall waiting list size by 200,000 by March 2026, the government has pledged to ensure no one waits more than two years for planned treatment and to restore the eight-week target for diagnostic testing.

Health boards will be expected to continue transforming how they deliver planned care over the next 12 months. This includes adopting more regional working models and implementing recommendations from the Ministerial Advisory Group on NHS Performance and Productivity, due to report later this month.

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News

Welsh pensioners to receive state pension increase amidst mixed reactions

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STARTING this month, over 600,000 pensioners across Wales will see their State Pensions rise by up to £470 annually, following the UK Government’s adherence to the ‘triple lock’ policy. This policy ensures that pensions increase each year by the highest of average earnings growth, inflation, or a minimum of 2.5%.

Government’s Position

The UK Government has emphasized its commitment to supporting pensioners through the triple lock. In a recent statement, it was noted that this commitment would result in the State Pension increasing by up to £1,900 over the course of the current Parliament.

Opposition and Think Tank Critiques

However, the policy has faced criticism from various quarters. The Liberal Democrats have raised concerns about the real impact of the pension increase, pointing out that due to the freezing of income tax thresholds, a significant portion of the pension rise could be offset by increased tax liabilities. They estimate that a typical basic rate tax-paying pensioner might see 77% of the pension increase negated by these tax measures.

Additionally, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has questioned the sustainability of the triple lock mechanism. They argue that while the policy aims to protect pensioners’ incomes, it may not be the most efficient approach and could lead to unpredictable fiscal burdens.

Pensions Minister’s Stance

Torsten Bell, the newly appointed Pensions Minister, has previously described the triple lock as “rubbish” and advocated for its replacement with a system that aligns state pension increases with benefits for jobseekers and the long-term sick. Despite his past remarks, recent reports indicate that he is now “fully committed” to maintaining the triple lock.

Economic Implications

Financial experts have also highlighted potential unintended consequences of the pension increase. The freezing of personal tax allowances means that some pensioners may find themselves pushed into higher tax brackets, thereby reducing the net benefit of the pension rise. This situation underscores the complex interplay between pension policies and tax regulations.

In summary, while the increase in State Pensions is a welcome development for many Welsh pensioners, it has sparked a broader debate about the effectiveness and sustainability of the triple lock policy, as well as its interaction with the broader tax system.

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