News
Milford Haven twin town Uman, Ukraine attacked by Russia
MILFORD HAVEN’S twin city Uman has been attacked and hit by Russian missiles following the invasion of Ukraine.
As conflict spread across the eastern European nation, Ukrainian authorities were forced to order the evacuation of civilians from Uman as Russia launched attacks on the Jewish-hub.
Shlomi Elisha, a United Hatzalah (volunteer-based emergency medical service) representative predicted that the town would be hit due to nearby weapon deposits.
“The Uman municipality has begun evacuating hundreds of families from the city, the danger is very great — there are many weapons depots in the area and the explosions are intense,” they told Army Radio.
Around 7am on the 25th of February, security footage saw a missile hit the streets of Uman just streets away from a line of synagogues.
The video shows the Russian missile making direct impact with a civilian, who was cycling down the road.
A nearby pizza parlour was blown out, with its windows completely smashed.
Pro-Russian telegram channels shared videos of the pizza shop, street and dead cyclist.
At least one civilian has been killed, with 25 people said to be injured.
Milford Haven has been twinned to Uman since 1990.
The current mayor of Milford Haven Kathy Gray, Cllr XX, said the events were “sad and really worrying and I will pray for everyone to be safe.”
In 2012, the Mayor, Councillor G. Woodham and his Consort C. Sharo undertook a historic visit to the city.
It is situated in the Cherkasy Oblast province in central Ukraine, around 210km south of capital city Kyiv.
The town is a cultural and religious hub for Jews in Ukraine.
Every year, more than 10,000 pilgrims visit Uman during Rosh Hashanah to visit the grave of Nachman of Breslov, great grandson of the Rabbi who is thought to be the founder of the modern Hasidic movement.
Russia claim the operations towards Uman were to knock out military and command infrastructure in Ukraine – and not to harm the citizens.
It’s citizens are currently providing medical care and logistical assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Haim Hazin, a community representative, said: “We love Ukraine and we will defend it.”
“At the beginning of hostilities, we handed over 12 bags with Israeli first aid kits to the army.”
He insisted Jews in Uman were “determined to help in any way we can.”
He continued: “It hurts us, we fear for Ukraine, this is sacred land for us here in Uman, where Rabbi Nachman is buried.”
Hazin added partnered Israel organisations “also sent specialists who conducted a tactical medicine course, sharing Israeli technologies on how to stop a wound from bleeding.”
Since it’s inception in the 18th century, Uman has had a thriving Jewish population.
However, in World War 2 – the population was the target of the anti-Jewish attack by the Nazi regime. An estimated 17,000 Jews were killed from Uman during the Holocaust.
Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, many Orthodox Jewish families have moved to Uman to live within a community of like mindedness.
Resident’s of Podil, a neighbourhood in Kyiv, said that the Jewish community never had any conflicts.
“Never, never have we had any conflicts or misunderstandings, every morning we greet the Jewish children with a smile as they board their school buses.” said a local resident.
Tuesday, however, “was a hard day, no one in town had a smile or a greeting” following the attacks.
The same resident ended with a plea to “defend ourselves, defend our Kyiv, defend Podil, and the church, and the synagogue.”
Crime
Recycling company brought before Judge after JCB crushes employee
A PEMBROKESHIRE-BASED recycling company has been brought before a district judge after an employee was seriously injured by a JCB loading shovel.
TBS Recycling and Skip Hire appeared before Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest magistrates court earlier this week when company director, Steven Thomas, pleaded guilty to failing to discharge general health, safety and welfare duties to an employee.
The incident occurred on March 31, 2021, at the TBS recycling and skip hire unit which is situated at the Waterston Industrial Estate, between Neyland and Milford Haven.
“An employee of the company was working on the site when he spotted something caught in the wheel of a four-ton JCB,” commented a lawyer for the Health and Safety Executive.
“He went to clear it and the person who was in the [JCB] driving seat knew he was doing it. But he was distracted and believed the other employee had left. So he lowered the shovel, but it crushed him.”
As a result, the employee sustained crushed ribs and damage to his lungs and breathing.
“But he’s since made a good recovery,” said the Health and Safety Executive lawyer.
Steven Thomas, of Cross Farm, Walwyns Castle Road, Ties Cross, will be sentenced by Judge Layton when he sits at Llanelli Magistrates Court on June 6.
Crime
Pembrokeshire car salesman caught driving on cocaine
A PEMBROKESHIRE car salesman has appeared before a District Judge after being caught driving a cream BMW through Kilgetty after taking cocaine.
Fraser Finlay was stopped by police officers on the night of October 3, 2023, as he drove the vehicle along Clayford Road in Wooden.
The officers’ suspicions had been aroused when the trade insurance which covered his vehicle failed to show up on their system.
A roadside breath test was carried out which proved positive and Finlay, 25, was conveyed to a police custody suite where further blood tests were carried out for analysis.
These showed he had 20ug/L of cocaine in his system; the legal threshold limit is 10. He was also found to have 800 ug/L of the cocaine derivative benzoylecgonine in his system; the legal limit is 50.
“This conviction means that my client is most likely to see an end to his job,” his solicitor, David Williams, informed District Judge Mark Layton sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates court earlier this week.
“This is because he works as a car salesman.”
Finlay was disqualified from driving for 17 months. He was fined £450 and ordered to pay a £180 court surcharge and £85 costs.
News
Pembrokeshire hostel manager narrowly avoids jail sentence
A FORMER Pembrokeshire homeless hostel manager narrowly avoided a jail sentence this week after a District Judge was shown footage of her kicking a defenceless man as he lay drunk on the floor.
Linda Tysoe, 52, was seen walking over to Shaun Nelmes and kick him repeatedly. She was also seen hurling a can of tomatoes at his head.
As a result, Mr Nelmes sustained extensive lacerations to his face; images of his injuries were shown to the judge.
“The defendant admits the seriousness of her actions and she can see that they look aggressive,” probation officer Charmain Fox told District Judge Mark Layton when he sat at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court earlier this week.
“But over the last seven years, there have been many incidents of a domestic nature where the defendant was the victim. That night, she saw red and her actions were completely out of character.”
The assault took place on the night of October 1 when Mr Nelmes arrived at Linda Tysoe’s home. CCTV video footage shown to the court that was retrieved from her mobile phone showed that he was heavily intoxicated.
“He was extremely intoxicated, so she asked him to leave,” continued Ms Fox.
“When he left, he then tried to gain entry into the homeless hostel which the defendant was managing. She received calls from residents saying that he was outside, so again she tried to remove him but she saw red. She wanted to make clear that his behaviour was completely out of order.”
Ms Fox said that as a result of the attack, Tysoe has now lost her job.
“She is currently living in a caravan outside the family home,” she said.
Tysoe pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm. She was legally represented in court by solicitor Mr Michael Kelleher.
“My client has no previous convictions but she was the victim in previous matters involving the complainant [Shaun Nelmes],” he said.
“At the time this offence was committed, he was on a prison licence for assaulting her.”
Tysoe was sentenced to 16 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months. She was ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation requirement days and must pay £85 court costs and a £154 surcharge.
“On October 1 last year your relationship came to an end and clearly something happened that night which caused this vicious and violent incident,” said District Judge Mark Layton when imposing sentence.
“You kicked him on the floor and threw a can at him which is believed to have been a full can of tomatoes that caused significant injury to his face. This crosses the custody threshold.”
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