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Protest planned after Town Council votes to keep child rapist’s portrait

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A PROTEST will be held on Monday (Feb 24) from 3pm. Organisers said: “This is for Pembroke Town Council to take down the peadophile’s picture and replace it with a plaque in honour of the survivors. Posters said: “Do not stand by and allow abuse to happen – please join the protest to show your support. Stop our children from being sexually enslaved!

The news of the demo comes after an attempt to have the photograph of a disgraced former mayor of Pembroke removed from the Town Hall’s walls was defeated by the town’s councillors last week.

Convicted child molester David Boswell’s portrait will remain hanging alongside those of other mayors but turned towards the wall.

Last year, Boswell was convicted of four counts of indecently assaulting two children and a further offence of raping one of them. He is currently serving an eighteen-year prison sentence.

Two town councillors, County Council Cabinet member Jon Harvey and former County Council Chair Aden Brinn proposed Boswell’s portrait should be removed. They cited the seriousness and appalling nature of Boswell’s crimes. However, their move was not supported by any of the other town councillors present at the meeting.

Instead, the councillors agreed upon a proposal made by Cllr Jonathan Nutting, who said the portrait should remain in place but reversed.

During a speech in support of his motion, Cllr Nutting said that he regretted that the Council’s dirty laundry had been aired to the public and impugned the integrity of those who called for the removal of Boswell’s portrait. An action he repeated subsequently in a personal post on Facebook.

Cllr Nutting posted the full text of his speech online after the Western Telegraph failed to publish his lengthy peroration in full in its reporter Bruce Sinclair’s hard-hitting and accurate report of the meeting.

In the version published online, Cllr Nutting said: “To me, the picture on the wall is a testament to the shame of this council and our region. There was a failure to protect vulnerable children from a predator. People had some idea of what was going on and turned a blind eye. We need to be reminded as a community that we failed those children. If we can decide on some way to mark this event that shows our disgust. I think we should do it.”

To summarise those sentiments: ‘we’re all to blame for Boswell’s crimes’.

Cllr Nutting remarkable proposition that guilt for Boswell’s grotesque offending is spread as widely as possible was accompanied by the statement: “I accept the fact that in a few tens of years what happened will be forgotten. To put it away in a cupboard or to actually burn it will not bear witness to this man’s crimes.”

Cloth-eared comments made by Cllr Daphne Bush that the portrait’s removal would upset members of Boswell’s family appeared to ignore the toll its presence would exact on his victims.

Unsatisfied with refusing to remove the portrait, Cllr Dennis Evans alleged comments made about councillors permitting it to remain in place were ‘libellous’.

Cllr Evans reportedly said: “I’ve heard rumours that people want us to give a public apology; it should be the other way around, the editor of the Western Telegraph should be giving us a public apology.”

The Herald invited response to that suggestion from our rival publication’s editor, Steve Adams, but Cllr Evans’ remarks speak volumes; as Mr Adams’ silence speaks of their merit.

In response to his fellow town councillors’ vote, Jon Harvey quit the Council during the meeting.

In a statement given subsequently, and in response to criticism levelled at him, Cllr Harvey said: My resignation from Pembroke Town Council was by no means pre-planned.

“Following concerns expressed by residents just over a month ago I emailed the Town Clerk (copied to all Town Councillors) expressing my view that the photograph of the former Mayor should be taken down. I also pressed for an Extraordinary Meeting to be held so that a decision would be made quickly on this matter. Including myself, only two Town Councillors supported this idea, with five needed to do so to allow the meeting to take place. As a consequence, the matter rolled on to the meeting of the Town Council held on the 13th February.”

Describing the decision to place the portrait back on the wall after the current Mayor had it removed as ‘a grave error of judgement’, Cllr Harvey continued: “It became clear that many of those Councillors present were more concerned about the former Mayors place in history, as well as attacking the member of the public who initially raised this matter on social media. Next up it was the turn of the press to be criticised for publishing the story and quoting the member of the public in the article.”

Cllr Harvey said: “Whilst I will always respect a democratic vote on any issue, this decision of the overwhelming number of Town Councillors was not one I could subscribe to given the clear strength of public opposition. I am not aware of any member of the public supporting the retention of the photograph in situ, either facing out or turned around. I am sure there are no pictures of Jimmy Saville facing the wall in Stoke Mandeville Hospital or Hitler hanging in the Reichstag.

“Members of the Town Council seem more concerned with history, attacking a member of the public and attacking the freedom of the press than actually grasping the simple concept that the public doesn’t want that photograph on the wall.”

He concluded: “As a matter of principle, I tendered my resignation with immediate effect following the vote. I do not want to remain a part of a Town Council that does not represent the views of the electorate, shows no understanding of the importance of this matter to the public and does not believe in press freedom. I remain as County Councillor for the Pembroke St. Mary North Ward and will continue to serve the good folk of the Ward to the best of best of my abilities.”

Marcel Laval, who originally drew attention to the photo’s presence, came in for particular criticism both indirectly during the meeting and subsequently directly from Cllr Jonathan Nutting on social media.

Mr Laval told us: “I remain convinced that this slap in the face to the public should give cause for the community as a whole concern.

“Those in the majority decided instead to be outraged that their lack of understanding of the issue and the lack of compassion for the survivors of the most horrific crimes was such a great issue.

“The adopted motion instead of accepting the wishes of many in the real community to remove said portrait will be to further debase the town council and councillors by making the reversed portrait a tourist attraction to be explained by whoever is left to supervise the Town Hall Museum. If a worse outcome could be found, a majority of councillors tried their best to find it and voted to accept it. Those responsible for this situation must resign for the good of Pembroke.”

Crime

Police arrest suspects following vehicle interferences in Haverfordwest

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HAVERFORDWEST police responded swiftly after reports of multiple vehicle interferences in the Tasker Way area on Sunday night/early Monday morning (Nov 4).

Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPPT) conducted extensive house-to-house enquiries, gathering evidence and reassuring the community. These efforts led to the identification of two suspects.

Both NPPT and Response teams acted promptly, locating and arresting the suspects, who are now in police custody.

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Ancient Welsh hymns brought into 21st century with unique collaboration between Lleuwen Steffan and National Eisteddfod

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Some of Wales’ long-forgotten hymn tunes are being brought vividly back to life this month, thanks to award-winning singer, songwriter and composer Lleuwen Steffan and her unique collaboration with the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Performing as ‘Tafod Arian’ (Silver Tongue), the collaboration pays homage to the lost voices of the past, and infuses these timeless melodies with some highly contemporary electronic arrangements.

The project originated in 2012 when Lleuwen was working on a music project at St Fagan’s National History Museum where she came across some long-forgotten recordings of hymns which had been left in the sound archives.  None of these hymns could be found in the official hymn books nor the older hymnal editions, possibly as the result of their informal, conversational lyrics, or because they often delved into the world of addiction, mental illness and the darker side of the psyche.

But now these unpublished and unknown hymns will be heard for the first time in over a hundred years when Tabernacl Chapel, Maenclochog, will be one of 50 Welsh chapels to be visited by Tafod Arian.

With translations and insights, the tour breathes new life into archive recordings, ensuring these cherished sacred songs rightfully claim their place in today’s spotlight. Lleuwen masterfully combines electronic and acoustic instrumentation, seamlessly blending the past with the present, and takes the stage alongside a dynamic quintet of international musicians including Sioned Webb and Gethin Elis from Wales, and Nolwenn Korbell and Brieg Guerveno from Brittany.

Despite the hymns’ long-distant past, the music is firmly in the present as Lleuwen uses various instruments to provide angular electronic accompaniment as well as her soulful vocals and guitar.  She provides translations and explanations as she proudly puts the archive recordings of the lost |Welsh hymns on centre stage.  As a result, these sacred songs are being passed on orally rather than via the hymn book which is precisely how Welsh folk music was conveyed.

The long-forgotten hymns will be heard once again in all their glory at Tabernacle Chapel, Maenclochog on Sunday, November 17 at 6.30pm.

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Crime

Suspended sentence for Goodwick man who sent sexual messages to young girl

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THE FATHER of a young girl sent sexual messages to an individual he believed to be a 12-year-old girl online, Swansea Crown Court heard this week.

An undercover police officer posed as a 12-year-old girl on the website RandoChat, with the decoy’s profile stating they were 18.

James Roberts messaged the decoy on 9 August, stating he was “looking for a naughty girl”.

The decoy promptly informed him that she was 12 years old; however, the defendant continued to send messages referencing sexual acts and self-gratification.

Roberts added the decoy on Snapchat, claiming to be 19 and living in England.

He again sent sexualised messages and, referring to the decoy’s age, said they were “never too young to start sending pictures”.

The defendant also told the decoy that he was having similar sexual conversations with a 14-year-old, Mr Dickens said.

Police attended Roberts’ home in Goodwick on 17 August, and he was arrested. He denied having a mobile phone, claiming he “had sent it off to Samsung to be fixed” but was “extremely vague” when asked for further details. Mr Dickens said no phone was ever recovered by police.

The 28-year-old Roberts pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child. The court heard that he had no previous convictions.

Hannah George, in mitigation, said the defendant showed “some degree of remorse” and that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

“In the 13 months since he was interviewed there have been no further offences,” she said.

Ms George said Roberts had suffered “significant” shame and embarrassment as a result of the offences, and it had led to him losing his job.

He had previously been diagnosed with PTSD and suffered “deep periods of depression”, Ms George said.

She added that his contact with his young daughter “has been diminished” following these offences.

“You were in contact online with who you firmly believed to be a 12-year-old girl,” said Judge Paul Thomas KC, addressing Roberts.

“You have a two-year-old daughter. Just think how you would feel if a man in his thirties tried to have that sort of conversation with her in 10 years’ time.”

Roberts was sentenced to 30 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He must complete 35 days of an accredited programme and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement programme days.

He must also register as a sex offender for 10 years and was made the subject of a three-year sexual harm prevention order.

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