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News

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

Inspiring a love of reading with local authors

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THE PEMBROKESHIRE LIBRARY SERVICE recently took part in the Books Council of Wales ‘Stars of the Shelves’ Initiative – to bring school children into libraries to meet local authors.

Grant funded by Welsh Government, the initiative aims to engage primary school pupils with literature and reading through author-led sessions in local libraries.

Pembroke Dock, Narberth, Milford Haven and Fishguard Libraries all took part and welcomed around 200 children at various sessions during March.

Welsh authors Kerry Curson and Rebecca F John were commissioned to deliver the workshops which were a fantastic chance for learners to interact with professional writers, explore storytelling and foster a love for reading and writing.

Pembroke Dock Community School and Narberth CP School enjoyed “fun”, “interesting” and “inspirational” workshops with Kerry where the pupils created their own stories, learned new vocabulary and felt more confident about their writing afterwards.

St Francis Catholic School, Ysgol Glannau Gwaun and Ysgol Wdig enjoyed hearing about Rebecca’s books and inspiration as well as taking part in the creative writing process and character development exercises and several found themselves wanting to read more.

Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said: “Our libraries are more than just places to borrow books and this Books Council of Wales initiative is just one example of the importance of libraries in the community.

“There was overwhelmingly positive feedback from the pupils who took part, and it is fantastic to see our young people fostering enthusiasm for reading and writing.”

Tracey Johnson, Site Coordinator for Fishguard, Newport and St Davids libraries, liaised with the Books Council of Wales and the authors, to organise the timetable of visits.

She added: “It was great to see so many primary age children in our libraries, enjoying themselves and learning in a fun way.

“It’s really important that we help develop the ‘library habit’ of visiting regularly, to help encourage a love of reading from an early age. Libraries are free to join, and library staff are here to help children and parents who visit.”

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News

Neyland councillor threatens legal action under Equalities Act

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NEYLAND TOWN COUNCIL is once again under scrutiny following a strongly worded letter from Councillor David Devauden, who has accused the Town Clerk of discrimination and threatened multiple legal actions.

Councillor: David Devauden

In an email sent to fellow councillors and members of the public on Tuesday (Apr 1), Cllr Devauden alleges breaches of the Equalities Act 2010, as well as libel and harassment, in connection with ongoing disputes within the council.

Claims of discrimination and legal threats

The email alleges that the Town Clerk, Libby Matthews, has engaged in what Cllr Devauden describes as “the illegal practice of discrimination” against himself and fellow councillors Brian Rothero and Steve Thomas. He claims the Clerk has refused to respond to correspondence and has shown bias in favour of certain councillors.

“This is called OPENNESS, something we, as a Council, were proud to proclaim but failed to act on,” he wrote.

Drawing on his past experience as a part-time paralegal, Cllr Devauden stated he specialised in libel and discrimination law and accused the Clerk of misandry and malicious communications. He claims the complaints against him lacked evidence and were nothing more than “a misandristic rant.”

Ultimatum to Clerk

Cllr Devauden issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Libby Matthews, demanding her resignation “with no compensation and no benefits.” He warned that if she did not comply, he would pursue a case under the Equalities Act 2010 and other legislation.

“If you resign immediately then I will cease taking legal action against the Council,” he stated, though he added he could not guarantee the same for civil proceedings relating to social media posts alleging sexual harassment and excessive email communications.

He also warned of intended complaints to police under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and stated his intention to pursue a libel case under the Human Rights Act 1998 if the allegations made against him are not substantiated with evidence.

Tensions continue to mount

The letter follows weeks of controversy surrounding the council, including the co-option of the Clerk’s mother to the council, accusations of secrecy, and increasing public dissatisfaction with council leadership.

As of now, the Town Clerk has not publicly responded to the letter.

Upcoming tribunal

The Pembrokeshire Herald has found that Cllr David Devauden is due to face a tribunal under reference APW/005/2024-025/CT, brought by the Adjudication Panel for Wales.

The hearing relates to alleged breaches of paragraphs 4(b), 4(c), 6(1)(a), 6(1)(d), and 6(2) of the Code of Conduct, which outline the following responsibilities:

  • 4(b): Councillors must show respect and consideration for others.
  • 4(c): Councillors must not use bullying behaviour or harass any person.
  • 6(1)(a): Councillors must not conduct themselves in a manner likely to bring their office or authority into disrepute.
  • 6(1)(d): Councillors must not disclose confidential information contrary to legal or policy obligations.
  • 6(2): Councillors must not make vexatious, malicious or frivolous complaints against others.

The relevant authority is Neyland Town Council. Further details about the hearing are expected to be released in due course.

More referrals expected

A source close to the council has indicated that further referrals to the Adjudication Panel for Wales may be forthcoming, although this has not yet appeared on the public tribunal list.

Former councillor Andrew Lye also stated he has made a police complaint regarding what he describes as bullying by Cllr Devauden. He has expressed frustration over a lack of response from Dyfed-Powys Police and is considering referring the force to the Ombudsman over their handling of the complaint.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will continue to monitor developments and report on the outcome of any legal action or council response.

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Business

Labour costs loom ahead of new financial year

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WELSH businesses are under increasing pressure to raise prices due to rising labour costs, according to the latest Quarterly Economic Survey by Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid.

The first survey of 2025 reveals that 85% of businesses in Wales cite labour costs—including salaries, pay settlements and contractor fees—as a major pressure in the first quarter. This marks a rise from 81% in the final quarter of 2024.

Firms are also bracing for the impact of increases to the National Minimum Wage on 1 April and Employer National Insurance Contributions on 6 April. As a result, 44% of surveyed businesses said they plan to raise the price of goods or services by up to 15% to absorb these costs. A further 10% said they will increase prices due to the National Insurance rise alone.

Despite financial pressures, workforce stability remained strong. Seventy-six per cent of businesses reported no change in staffing levels over the past three months. However, the proportion of companies attempting to recruit fell to 40%, down from 45% in the previous quarter. Looking ahead, 58% expect their workforce to remain unchanged in the next quarter, while 23% plan to increase staff numbers.

The Q1 survey also reflected cautious optimism, with 39% of respondents reporting a rise in export sales and bookings. Additionally, 28% of businesses said they had increased investment in plant, machinery, technology and equipment. Nearly half (45%) forecast an improvement in turnover.

Gus Williams, interim CEO at Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, said:
“In our recent Quarterly Economic Surveys, including this survey for Q1, recurring concerns for businesses centre around labour costs and taxation. As changes are set to come into effect in April, businesses in Wales are having to review their goods and services prices, ongoing costs and recruitment plans.

“While there have been glimmers of optimism in exporting and some aspects of investment this quarter, firms will require reassurance and action from government to avoid stagnating and unlock growth. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s revised growth forecasts suggest that economic growth is less certain this year but will be a longer-term achievement.”

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