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Prolific conman jailed for befriending and confusing cashiers in betting shops

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A PROLIFIC conman has been jailed after scamming bookmakers in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire by befriending and confusing cashiers.

Jason Haddigan was so well-versed in fraud that he had even written a book entitled “How and Why I Conned the Bookies.”

Despite fleeing the country after carrying out scams in Ammanford and Narberth, sufficient evidence was secured by Dyfed-Powys Police during a determined investigation to charge the 49-year-old with six offences.

Officer in case PC Jade Probert said: “This was a very protracted and complex investigation, which saw enquiries being carried out over the course of 18 months.

“Haddigan is a notorious conman, who was banned from entering every bookmakers in England and Wales, and had even written a book about how he had defrauded staff.

“His technique was to befriend cashiers in betting shops, gaining their trust. He would then deliberately scribble and forge vetting slips, and use his knowledge of the working procedures and equipment they use to con the cashier with a sleight of hand technique to switch the original slip for a forged one.”

Dyfed-Powys Police received a call from a betting shop in Ammanford on May 27, 2019, reporting suspicions that the cashier had been scammed by a man claiming to have won £1,600.

The caller stated that the man had placed a ‘slow bet’ on a dog race and spent the afternoon at the shop, befriending the cashier. At the end of the race, he ‘played dumb’ and claimed he could not remember who he had bet on.

The cashier had then handed him the original betting slip, which he fraudulently amended with the winning numbers. He was handed £1,000 and asked to return the following day for the remaining £600.

PC Probert said: “Haddigan then used a similar technique at a shop in Narberth, where he placed a bet on a horse race as close to the start of the race as possible.

“A few minutes later, he asked for his betting slip back, claiming he had forgotten to include the numbers of the horses – but by then he knew the result of the race and filled in the winners.

“This gained him over £1,700 in winnings.”

After committing the two offences, Haddigan fled the country and travelled to Ireland. He later returned to England, but proved incredibly difficult to locate.

He was finally arrested at Gatwick Airport as he again tried to leave the country under an alias.

Ammanford Sergeant Dylan Davies said: “Throughout police interviews, Haddigan refused to comment which resulted in a significant amount of work for investigating officers.

“However, thanks to their determination – and particularly that of PC Jade Probert – sufficient evidence was secured to charge him with six offences, which he finally admitted at court.”

Jason Haddigan was charged with two counts of fraud, two counts of fraud by false representation and two breaches of antisocial behaviour orders.

He appeared at Swansea Crown Court on March 19, where he was handed a reduced prison sentence of 21 weeks for his guilty plea.

Crime

Waste dumped at recycling centre leads police to drug factory near Cardigan

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Man jailed after drug discovery sparked by vigilant staff

A TIP-OFF from staff at an Aberystwyth recycling centre has led to the discovery of a large cannabis factory in a derelict property near Cardigan — and landed a 20-year-old man behind bars.

Manuel Nerguti was sentenced to six months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (July 11) after pleading guilty to producing a class B drug.

The court heard that on May 1 this year, workers at the Aberystwyth recycling centre reported a suspicious delivery: four to five bags of cannabis stalks, apparently dumped by men in a hired Ford Transit van.

Police acted quickly and intercepted the van later that afternoon on the road between Aberystwyth and Cardigan. Nerguti and two other men were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, but were released without charge at the time, as no grow site had been located.

However, a month later, acting on new intelligence, Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at a derelict house in Bridell, near Cardigan. Inside, they discovered a sophisticated cannabis cultivation operation: 260 mature plants spread across five rooms and an attic, with the electricity supply illegally bypassed.

During the raid on June 7, Nerguti attempted to flee but was found hiding behind a washing machine in the garage.

He was charged and later pleaded guilty to producing cannabis.

Detective Constable Sam Garside, who led the investigation, praised the recycling centre staff for their quick thinking.

He said: “This result is thanks to the staff at the recycling centre for recognising that criminal activity was taking place and for alerting police quickly.

“We rely on the public to inform us of anything suspicious going on in their communities and we encourage people to get in touch if they suspect anything. We were able to use our local knowledge and police intelligence to execute a successful warrant and shut down an illegal cannabis factory.

“We are committed to continuing our drug operations across Dyfed-Powys and bringing offenders like Nerguti to justice.”

Police estimate the cannabis seized had a potential street value of up to £242,000.

More information on Operation Scotney — Dyfed-Powys Police’s campaign to tackle cannabis cultivation — including how to spot signs of a drug grow, can be found on their website.

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Pembrokeshire County Council group to review ‘climate emergency’

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A CALL for a group to review Pembrokeshire County Council’s decision to declare a climate emergency some six years ago has been backed by councillors.

In May 2019, the council declare a climate emergency following a notice of motion by Cllr Joshua Beynon calling on the authority to back the global consensus that climate change poses a risk to the well-being of future generations.

He had urged county councillors to back a motion to take “bold, decisive action” to fight “truly, catastrophic” climate change.

He called on the council to commit to becoming a zero-carbon local authority by 2030.

At the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, a notice of motion by Cllr Mike Stoddart called for the establishment of a working group to review the decision made by the council to declare a climate change emergency.

Cllr Stoddart’s motion said: “Given the turbulence on the global financial markets; the parlous state of the UK’s public finances; Pembrokeshire County Council’s projected funding gap; and the government’s softening of its policies on the switch to EV vehicles and heat pumps, this council establishes a seven person, politically balanced working group to review the authority’s decision to declare a climate emergency at its meeting on May 9, 2019.

“The working group will be asked to: (a) examine the effect of the emergency declaration on the level of council tax in Pembrokeshire and particularly the extent to which any such increases militate against the authority’s anti-poverty policies.

“(b) The cost of decarbonising the council’s housing stock and the effect this has had on the authority’s ability to finance the building of new housing.

“(c) The extent to which the council’s decarbonisation programme has contributed to a reduction of the risk of runaway global temperature increases, and (d) any other effects that the working group considers may have adversely impacted the wellbeing of the residents of Pembrokeshire.”

Cllr Stoddart’s notice of motion was previously supported at the June meeting of the council’s corporate overview and scrutiny committee, with a recommendation to full council in July meeting, to reinstate the Net Zero Working Group to review the contents of the notice of motion and, subject to the outcome of this review, review the future delivery of the Net Zero Action Plan.

Cllr Stoddart’s call was backed by Cllr Steve Alderman, and Cllr Rhys Jordan, who said: “I fully support this, it couldn’t come sooner; around England and Wales councils are looking at this, there’s been a huge push for a ‘net zero’ agenda at any cost, I don’t think we’re in a position to drive that.”

Cllr Aaron Carey said: “We’ve set ourselves some lofty goals, but we haven’t got the money to back it up.”

Members overwhelmingly agreed to back the June committee recommendations.

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Urgent appeal to save 1,000 hens in Pembrokeshire and beyond

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British Hen Welfare Trust seeks homes before Friday deadline

AN URGENT appeal has been launched to find homes for more than 1,000 hens due to be rehomed next weekend – including from a rescue centre in Boncath, Pembrokeshire.

The British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) is coordinating the rehoming effort on Saturday (July 26), aiming to rescue ex-caged hens from slaughter and instead place them into loving homes. The appeal also covers rehoming centres in Locking, near Bristol, and Kineton in Warwickshire.

The charity says the hens have come to the end of their commercial egg-laying lives, but remain healthy and can thrive as pets. However, they must be rehomed by Friday (July 25) to avoid being needlessly killed.

“This is a time-sensitive and visual story that resonates locally,” said Andy Hill, Marketing & Communications Officer for the BHWT. “These hens have worked hard their whole lives and deserve a second chance.”

The organisation recently marked the rehoming of its one millionth hen – which was adopted by King Charles III – and the upcoming effort is part of its continued mission to improve hen welfare across the UK.

Local spokespeople are available for interview, and high-resolution images are available for media use.

For more information or to register interest in adopting hens, visit: www.bhwt.org.uk

Image for illustration purposes only

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