News

Accused primary school teacher made complaint against investigating officer

Published

5 years ago

April 27, 2021

A PRIMARY SCHOOL teacher accused of sexually touching 11 former pupils made an official complaint against one of the police officers investigating the case, a court has heard.

But the 34 year old also told the court that he was the “fun teacher” and would “tease” and be “jokey” with the children in his care.

At Swansea Crown Court, James Oulton, again denied 30 charges relating to his time as a teacher at a primary school in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire between 2012 and 2018.

He explained that the case against him was a witch-hunt, and said he had no idea why the eleven children had made the claims against him.

Mr Oulton claimed evidence offered by the complainants that a learning support assistant (LSA) was not always present in the classroom was wrong – he was never alone with children in the classroom, he told the jury.

He said he never knew in advance when these members of staff would enter.

Oulton said that he had requested an extra assistant, and that the request had been granted.

“We were lucky, the school was well-funded and we afforded one LSA per class.

“Every class had at least one LSA, if not two, depending on the age of the children.”

Giving evidence in his defence, Mr Oulton told the court that another support worker regularly helped children with additional needs in the classroom, while another would help others with their reading.

In relation to the evidence given last week, when one complainant claimed Mr Oulton would grab her and place her on his lap on a ‘swivel’ chair, he told the court that it could not be true, as no classroom in the school had such a chair and that his had four legs which did not move.
Swansea Crown Court heard Mr Oulton had told the investigation that he would sometimes put his hands on his pupils shoulders or waists to get past them in the small classroom.

“Why would you bend to touch the waist?” he was asked.

“I can’t give you a reason,” responded Mr Oulton. “It would be whichever was most appropriate at the time.”

Asked if he thought there was any need to touch them at all he replied: “If you ever worked in the classroom, or if any member of the jury worked in a classroom, they’d know you are in close contact with children.”

He was then asked whether he passed close enough to his pupils that they would “feel your bulge and private area” so often that it became normal, Mr Oulton said “no.”

The trial continues.

Crime

Neighbourhood policing boosted across Dyfed-Powys

Published

2 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS POLICE has announced a significant expansion of its Neighbourhood Policing and Prevention Teams (NPPT), with more officers being deployed to frontline roles where demand is greatest.

From Monday (Mar 16), teams across the force area have been strengthened, with a renewed focus on tackling antisocial behaviour and preventing crime at its source.

The force says the move is aimed at reducing repeat demand by addressing the root causes of offending, rather than simply responding to incidents.

To achieve this, a number of officers have been redeployed from central departments back into frontline policing, while new posts are also being created to bolster capacity.

Temporary Chief Superintendent Steve Davies, head of uniform policing, said: “These changes are about increasing frontline visibility and ensuring we have the right resources in the right places.

“They form part of a wider programme of improvements across the force to enhance effectiveness and efficiency, while also supporting the wellbeing of our officers and staff.

“This is positive news for our communities, who will benefit from stronger neighbourhood teams focused on local priorities and proactive policing.”

The expansion has been made possible through Home Office funding under the Neighbourhood Guarantee scheme, which is designed to strengthen community safety and crime prevention.

Dyfed-Powys Police has been allocated £1.4 million for 2025/26, enabling the recruitment of police staff and freeing up officers previously in support roles to return to operational duties.

As a result, four sergeants and 29 police officers have now been reassigned to neighbourhood teams across the force.

Each NPPT area will also have a named officer, with full team details available via the ‘Your Area’ section of the Dyfed-Powys Police website.

The force has also secured early access to 2026/27 Neighbourhood Guarantee funding, which will see a further 12 officers recruited between April and the autumn—adding to overall officer numbers in the region.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “Neighbourhood policing is about more than numbers—it’s about relationships.

“Greater visibility helps build trust, strengthens community ties, and reassures the public that policing is present, responsive, and committed to keeping people safe.

“I remain committed to improving police visibility across our communities, and these additional officers will help turn that ambition into reality.”

Crime

Broad Haven man remanded in custody over sexual harm prevention order breach

Published

2 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Court Reporter

Defendant admitted using Xbox without informing police as required under court order

ANTHONY COOMBES, aged 26, of Sand Banks, Broad Haven, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Mar 20) charged with breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard that between February 26 and March 19, 2026, at Haverfordwest, Coombes repeatedly breached the order by using an Xbox device without informing police within three days, as required.

The offences relate to a sexual harm prevention order imposed at Swansea Crown Court on October 20, 2021.

Coombes indicated guilty pleas to the offences at the first hearing.

Magistrates committed the case to Swansea Crown Court for sentence.

He was remanded in custody ahead of the next hearing, which is due to take place at 9:00am on Friday, April 3, at Swansea Crown Court.

The court refused bail on the grounds that he was likely to offend, citing the nature and seriousness of the offences and his previous record and character.

A pre-sentence report was ordered.