News

Roofer alleged to have conned pensioners

Published

5 years ago

August 17, 2020

Mr and Mrs Black left in limbo after sudden halt on their leaking roof

AN ELDERLY couple from Pembrokeshire have been left with an unfinished roof and a staggering £15,500 out of pocket by an alleged ‘rogue’ trader.

Mr and Mrs Black from Maenclochog, had hired, who they believed to be a specialist and reputable roofing company, to repair a leak in the flat roof on their two-bedroom bungalow.

Seventy-nine-year-old Mr Black told us how he had leaks in his lounge, which he suspected was caused by the flat roof on his property.

He told us how he scouted around and decided to contact TAV Roofing, who appeared to have bases in both Narberth and Swansea.

A quick investigation by this newspaper has revealed that although TAV Roofing do advertise they work out of the Narberth area; they operate out of a base solely from an address in Swansea.

Owner of TAV Roofing, Mr Jim Janes came out to provide an estimate and quoted the couple £4,300 to replace the flat roof.

Mr Black agreed to the quote and gave an upfront payment of £1,000 to Mr Janes for materials.

Mr Black told this newspaper that they started work on the flat roof on July 9 and everything was going well, and the company was turning up and appearing to work hard to complete the job.

The flat roof which ended up costing the elderly couple £15,500

However shortly after work commenced, it seemed that Mr Janes believed that the problem was not the flat roof and that the main roof would need to be replaced also – to the total cost of £17,900.

Mr Black said: “We had a leak, he started working on the flat roof, then he was ripping other bits out of the main roof.

“We felt trapped as he had already started the work. We went away for the weekend on July 16 and were told while we were away the job would be completed.

“When we arrived home on the Tuesday, the roof was still unfinished and there was no sign of any roofers and all materials and tools had been removed from the property.”

Mr Black was paying in instalments, however when work suddenly came to a halt he had already handed over a staggering £15,500 – but the couple have been left in limbo.

The original leaks are still apparent on the property and they have been left with around 300 tiles still missing on the main property roof.

After many failed attempts to establish contact with the owner of TAV Roofing, by both Mr and Mrs Black and family members, the Blacks contacted trading standards.

We contacted Pembrokeshire County Council for a statement, a spokesperson said: “Pembrokeshire County Council has been contacted in relation to the company in question.

“Members of our Trading Standards Team are making further enquiries.”

Mr Jim Janes, owner of TAV Roofing, was contacted by this newspaper for a statement.

Mr Janes appeared to have no knowledge of the property in question at first, however shortly after acknowledged he had been working on the roof.

An unfinished roof has left the Black’s with more leaks than they originally had

When asked why he had not corresponded with Mr Black as to why he had not completed the roof, Mr Janes said: “I have not been dodging his calls, I have answered this one haven’t I?

“I have emails from Mr Black and ones of me saying I will be returning to the property on August 26 to finish the job.

“I have screenshots I can send you.”

He later told us that he had received no calls or emails from the couple.

When asked why the property had been left unfinished, he said: “I had to pull out because it was taking too long and I have other jobs to do.”

When asked if he thought it was acceptable to have left the property with an unfinished roof for almost a month, Mr Janes said: “It’s just a couple of tiles left to do and it is done.”

Mr Black also told us that the company contracted by TAV Roofing to erect the scaffolding on the property has since turned up to remove it.

They had been told by TAV Roofing that Mr Black had not paid his bill and that it needed to be removed.

Fortunately, Mr Black was able to provide evidence to show he had in fact paid and the scaffolding remains intact for the time being.

After more investigations by this newspaper, it appears that TAV roofing and AAA roofing operate out of the same address and using the same contact number.

A quick scan of their websites show they are registered traders on Checkatrade and Trustatrader, however neither of the two companies exist on a search on the trade checking websites.

Misleading…not a trusted trader

Our reporter contacted Checkatrade who confirmed that TAV Roofing are not registered members of theirs and they are aware that they are illegally using their company logo on the website and this is something they are actively investigating.

However, when asked about AAA Roofing, a spokesperson for Checkatrade told us they currently have a membership, with the contact being Mr Jim Janes, but they are only authorised to use the logo for AAA Roofing and not TAV Roofing.

When asked by our reporter whether the company was TAV Roofing or AAA Roofing, Mr Janes replied: “I don’t know anything about them, i am not talking about that.”

Our reporter explained to Mr Janes how the company is the same address, same contact number and he is the contact registered for Checkatrade he replied: “Are you a lawyer, are you a copper, I don’t have to answer your questions.”

A search on Companies House, which is a government run website providing details for every registered company in the UK, does not respond with any results for TAV Roofing, AAA Roofing or a Mr Jim/James Janes.

Mr Black said: “The reason that we are pursuing this is because we do not want this to happen to anyone else.”

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

9 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

10 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

15 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.