A MILFORD HAVEN pub employee has appeared before magistrates charged with failing to carry out unpaid work as part of his suspended prison sentence.

Bruce Nankeris, 29, was sentenced to 24 weeks in custody suspended for 12 months last September by Llanelli magistrates, on condition that he carries out a total of 50 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirements.

But this week he was brought before magistrates after failing to turn up for two of the unpaid work appointments.

“He’s just not doing it,” said Probation Officer Julie Norman. 

“Fifty hours isn’t a huge amount and he could fully do that within a few weeks, if he’s motivated.”

But Nankeris’ solicitor, Mike Kelleher, said the defendant has recently begun full time employment at The Vibe in Milford Haven.

“Things have been difficult for him after moving  to Milford Haven from Llanelli, and for a while was unable to find accommodation,” said Mr Kelleher.

“But he’s now found a job that comes with accommodation, and obviously he wants to keep this job because he’s been unemployed for so long. 

His employer has confirmed that he will ensure that from now on, he’ll do all the hours of unpaid work that are required.”

Nankeris was fined £40 and ordered to pay £60 court costs. 

He was also ordered to comply with the suspended sentence order by continuing  the unpaid work and the rehabilitation activity requirement days.

A PRISON officer with more than two decades’ service groped a young barmaid after “fake crying” and telling her she was nicer than his wife, a court has heard.

Michael Gardner, aged 46, was working at HMP Parc in Bridgend at the time of the incident in March last year. The Category B prison houses many inmates from Pembrokeshire and across South Wales. Gardner has since lost his job.

Swansea Crown Court heard Gardner had gone to a bar in the Neath area after watching a rugby match and appeared intoxicated. Prosecutor Ashanti-Jade Walton said Gardner began chatting to the barmaid and became emotional after his wife, who entered the bar shortly after him, attempted to get him to leave.

After his wife left, Gardner told the barmaid that his partner was “horrible”, began fake crying, and tried to hug her. He went on to tell her she was “nicer” than his wife and said he was going to go home with her that night.

The court was told the barmaid alerted her manager to what was happening, and a concerned customer intervened to check if she was alright.

Later in the evening, Gardner grabbed the barmaid’s left buttock and squeezed it. The bar manager ordered him to leave, but Gardner responded by becoming abusive and aggressive, shouting at staff and customers who tried to step in.

Police were called to the scene and found Gardner heavily intoxicated. Officers noted that his eyes were glazed and he was slurring his words. Upon arrest, he was found to be in possession of the bar’s electronic card reader machine.

Gardner, of School Road, Crynant, Neath, pleaded guilty to sexual assault on the day he was due to stand trial. He had previously admitted theft of the card reader at magistrates’ court. He had no prior convictions.

The judge described Gardner’s behaviour as “nothing short of utterly disgraceful and extremely seedy,” adding that the incident must have been “humiliating and embarrassing” for the victim.

David Singh, defending, said Gardner had been a prison officer for 21 years but was on sick leave for mental health issues at the time. He told the court Gardner had since accepted he was an alcoholic and had been sober for around 200 days. He described his client as “absolutely mortified” by his actions and said that while his wife remained supportive, their relationship had been significantly damaged.

Gardner was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work, attend a rehabilitation programme, and pay £500 in compensation to the victim. He will be registered as a sex offender for 10 years.

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has this week (Mar 31) published the independently chaired review of the Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021, led by Dr Susannah Bolton, alongside its response committing to implement all recommendations in full.

The review, which examined the effectiveness of measures to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources, found that while the current regulatory approach is sound, there are significant opportunities to make improvements to benefit the environment and farmers. This includes improved targeting, reducing burdens on low-risk farming activities, increasing clarity for farmers and addressing regulatory gaps.

Deputy First Minister, with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “Clean water in our rivers, lakes and seas is vital for us all. We need it for drinking, enjoying the outdoors, and growing food – all parts of our daily lives depend on it, and we must do everything possible to improve water quality for future generations.

“However, water quality in Wales is still being detrimentally impacted and improvements must continue to be made. Whilst the causes of pollution are not limited to any one sector, agriculture remains one of the main contributors.

“I would like to thank Dr Bolton for her thorough work on this review. Her extensive engagement with stakeholders has produced recommendations that demonstrate that those raising concerns have been listened to.

“The review agrees with our overall approach to the regulations but also shows ways we can make things better for both farmers and our environment. I plan to put all these recommendations into action.

“The existing rules will stay in place while the recommendations are taken forward and we will work together with all interested groups to develop these changes. We will make sure any new rules are fair and reasonable, while still focusing on our main goal – to reduce pollution from farming activities.”

The independent review makes recommendations in five key areas:

Better targeting regulations at polluting activities while reducing burdens on low-risk farming
Improving accessibility and clarity of regulations for farmers
Exploring alternative measures, particularly regarding closed periods and the 170kg nitrogen per hectare manure limit
Supporting innovation in farming practices
Addressing regulatory gaps, including soil protection measures and nutrient management planning
Dr Susannah Bolton, who led the review, said: “The engagement I have conducted for this review has demonstrated that there are strongly shared aspirations for improving water quality in Wales. I am genuinely optimistic that the recommended changes to the regulation will enable a greater degree of common agency and shared responsibility to address the challenges.”

Some changes, particularly those making regulations more accessible and clearer, will be implemented quickly. However, more complex recommendations requiring scientific and agronomic expertise will take longer to develop.