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Police and Crime Commissioner wants Penally Asylum Centre closed immediately

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THE POLICE and Crime Commissioner, Mr Dafydd Llywelyn, is today calling for the immediate closure of the asylum accommodation in Penally, Pembrokeshire following a damning inspection report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) and the independent chief inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI).

As well as a lack of Covid protection, fire safety and living conditions concerns, the inspectors found that managers lacked the experience and skills to run large-scale communal accommodation and the Home Office did not exercise adequate oversight. The report also reveals that many residents at the centre said they had mental health problems.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn told The Herald in a written statement: “Following this independent report, and its damning verdict, I am calling for the immediate closure of the asylum centre at Penally, Pembrokeshire.

“I have been in continuous condemnation of the Home Office’s decision to use the camp to house asylum seekers since September last year, and my concerns are vindicated following the Independent Inspector’s initial findings that have been published this week.

“I have seen first-hand the difficult circumstances encountered by individuals residing at the centre. In January, I met with David Bolt, the Chief Inspector of Asylum and Immigration, who reassured me at the time that this independent inspection of the Centre would take place.

“I am now pleased that the report findings highlight the concerns and fears that myself and other local stakeholder have raised with the Home Office on several occasions.

“The lack of strategic planning around the use of camp since September 2020, as well as the lack of community engagement has been extremely frustrating. This has led to unnecessary pressure being put on local resources at a time when we are trying to protect our communities from a global pandemic.

“I am now calling on the Home Office to make alternative arrangements and that we see the closure of the Penally Centre once and for all”.

In a statement released on Tuesday (Mar 9) Plaid Cymru also said Penally Camp should be shut down immediately and have asked local MP Simon Hart to resign.

In a statement, the party said Mr Hart, also Welsh Secretary, should ‘consider his position’ due to ‘his failure to resolve conditions in the camp and consult with local people’

The Plaid comments, made by prospective Plaid Cymru candidate in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Cefin Campbell follow a damning report on conditions in the camp by The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, describing it as run-down, impoverished, and filthy.

Cefin Campbell said: “These people should not have been located at Penally in the first place. It was a rush job by the Home Office, which resulted in local alarm and degrading conditions for the camp residents. It also caused conflict outside the camp which was a drain on police resources. By keeping everyone in the dark, the UK Government created a dire situation which caused grief all round.

“It’s quite incredible that local MP Simon Hart, a Minister in the UK Government, was not told of plans to house asylum seekers in his constituency by his own cabinet colleagues. It shows that Wales is treated with contempt by the Tory Government in London.

“Throughout this sorry saga, Mr Hart has failed dismally to cope with the situation in Penally, within and without the camp, both as a local MP and Secretary of State for Wales. Due to his failure to be up-front with his constituents and the obvious contempt towards his post as Secretary of State by the Tory Government, he should seriously consider his position. If he can’t influence events of this magnitude in his own constituency what hope is there of Wales benefitting on a wider scale?”

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Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children

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A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.

The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.

There were protests outside MacDonald’s house in September 2024 (Pic: Herald)

Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.

During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.

MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.

Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.

Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.

Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.

Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.

MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

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Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home

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A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.

Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.

PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”

This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.

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Crime

Ceredigion man sentenced for selling £150,000 in illegal DVDs

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A CEREDIGION man has been sentenced for selling counterfeit DVDs worth £150,000 under major brand names without authorization.

David Robert Thomas, 47, from Sarnau, ran a sophisticated online operation, producing and selling fake DVDs labeled with brands like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Sony, and Universal City Studios LLC. Thomas used seven different websites and managed multiple bank and PayPal accounts, including those of family members, to carry out his business.

Councillor Matthew Vaux, Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Counterfeiting is often thought of as a victimless crime, but it harms the local economy by undermining legitimate businesses that pay taxes and create real jobs. This result sends a clear message that counterfeit sales will not be tolerated, and we will act against offenders.”

Thomas pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Nov 11) and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. His sentence includes a four-month curfew and fifteen Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

Under the Crime Act 2002, forfeiture proceedings will follow to reclaim the financial benefits from Thomas’s criminal activities. Judge Richards took into account the market value of equivalent genuine goods, the sophisticated setup of Thomas’s business, and his previously clean record in reaching the sentencing decision.

The case was brought forward successfully by Ceredigion County Council’s Trading Standards Service.

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