News

Councillors being ‘kept in the dark’ claims one of PCC’s elected members

Published

12 years ago

October 13, 2013

Tom Sinclair

– Council has received its expert legal opinion

– Councillors are being refused access to it

– Lack of ‘confidence’ in councillors

Ahead of the impending extraordinary meeting of the council to discuss its controversial ‘Pensions Arrangements,’ councillors appear to be kept in the dark – that’s according to one of the authority’s sixty members.

On his website, councillor for the East Williamston ward, Jacob Williams, claims that councillors have been denied all access to the council’s legal advice over the affair, due to a number of claimed reasons, including a lack of ‘confidence’ that councillors will retain confidentiality.

On his jacobwilliams.com blog, Cllr Williams has published an email he sent to what he’s called the council’s “nerve (-ous) centre” in which he asked if all councillors could be provided with a copy of the legal advice the council had received into this matter, ahead of the extraordinary meeting.

The extraordinary meeting calls for the referral of the pensions scandal to the Welsh Government and the suspension of the chief executive pending the outcome. The email in which Cllr Williams asks for councillors to be provided with the council’s legal advice, concludes “I would suggest that there is a clear need for councillors to know this information ahead of the extraordinary council meeting, and that a summary of the information would simply not be adequate to inform our views on a matter we will be expected to vote upon.”

Cllr Williams wonders “whether it was by collusion or coincidence” that neighbouring Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire County Councils both brought in an apparently identical pensions arrangement at exactly the same time, which the Wales Audit Office now says is ‘unlawful.’

In a response that was sent to all councillors at Cllr Williams’ own request, councillors have been told that as the legal advice was sought by both Carmarthenshire County Council and Pembrokeshire County Council, the legal opinion is now “jointly owned” by the two authorities, and there is no permission from Carmarthenshire Council to allow councillors in Pembrokeshire to see the advice. Cllr Williams says that whilst it is convenient that the joint arrangement between the two authorities cuts their expensive costs in half by seeking their legal advice together, it also “handily provides a mutual excuse to keep their respective councillors in the dark!”

On his website, Cllr Williams also says that another reason councillors were given the thumbs down to the request was that it could prejudice any future legal action that might be taken against either of the authorities. But the third reason why the legal advice must remain under wraps, appears to be that councillors can’t be trusted.

Cllr Williams states “we’re told that there have been “previous instances when exempt information papers have been found to have been disclosed to third parties,” and so there is a lack of “confidence” in councillors that “the confidentiality of the opinion could be guaranteed.””

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

9 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

9 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

10 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.