News

Footbridge death was suicide

Published

11 years ago

August 5, 2014

THE DEATH of a Haverfordwest man was concluded to have been suicide by Pembrokeshire Coroner, Mark Layton on Thursday. Shane Daniel Louis Sturgess, aged 42, of Cartlett Road, died on April 13 this year after jumping off the footbridge at Salutation Square, Haverfordwest. Coroner’s Officer, Jeremy Davies said: “Mr Sturgess was seen on CCTV leaving his home address at 12.24am. He was late found lying on the floor on his back. There was some blood on the top of his head, though he did not look dishevelled. “Ambulances arrived and took him to A&E, and at 1.30am, life was pronounced extinct. A search was conducted at his home address, and a note was found that said ‘I’m sorry’. There were no signs of any defence wounds.” Mr Layton told the court: “Extracts from the post mortem report say that he suffered blood trauma to his head and chest. He had scalp abrasions, lascerations and multiple fractures to his skull. His spine was intact, but there was a fracture in his lower spine. “There were two fractures on his sternum and 45 fractures in his ribs. It was a very serious fall and by the time persons attended there were no signs of life. His ribs were injured on both sides and he had traces of a legal high in his system which may have affected him. He was not under the influence of alcohol. “My conclusion is that he left his home address, had gone to the footbridge and fallen to his death, and that he intended to take his own life.”

Crime

Rogue roofer conned homeowner out of thousands

Published

15 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Caerphilly investigation leads to court conviction

A ROGUE trader from Pembroke has been ordered to pay more than £6,000 after duping a homeowner into handing over thousands for unnecessary roofing work.

Douggie Whitbread, aged twenty-five and living at Coldwell Terrace, Pembroke, persuaded his victim that he “probably needed a new roof” before charging £4,350 for work that was either unnecessary or not carried out properly.

Whitbread admitted two counts of fraud relating to a property on Griffiths Street, Ystrad Mynach, with the offences taking place between August 12 and October 16, 2023.

He appeared before Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court, where he was ordered to pay a total of £6,130. That includes £4,350 in compensation, £1,500 in prosecution costs, a £200 fine, and an £80 victim surcharge.

The case was brought following an investigation by Caerphilly Trading Standards, who urged residents to be cautious of unsolicited offers of home maintenance work.

News

South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association – Week Twelve results

Published

33 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Herald Sport

A PACKET week of fixtures in the South Pembrokeshire Short Mat Bowls Association’s Friendly League saw key wins at both ends of the table as teams continue to jostle for position going into the second half of the season.

Match results (Week 12):

Hundleton 10–0 Lamphey
Badgers 2–8 St Johns
Reynalton 0–10 Carew
Kilgetty 8–2 East Williamston
Cosheston v Llanteg – postponed
St Twynnells – bye week

A previously postponed fixture was also completed, with St Twynnells drawing 5–5 with Reynaltón.

League table (after Week 12):
East Williamston remain top, having played 10 and won eight, with a strong shots difference of +125. Reynaltón sit second after 11 games with 58 points, while St Johns and Hundleton follow closely behind on 54 points each.

At the mid-table mark, Carew (49 points), St Twynnells (48) and Kilgetty (46) remain tightly grouped. Badgers, Lamphey, Llanteg and Cosheston make up the lower order, though the number of games played varies, leaving room for movement in the coming weeks.

Full standings:

Team	P	W	D	L	S/D	Points
East Williamston	10	8	0	2	+125	72
Reynaltón	11	5	2	4	+35	58
St Johns	10	5	1	4	+32	54
Hundleton	10	5	1	4	-2	54
Carew	9	5	0	4	-25	49
St Twynnells	10	4	2	4	-34	48
Kilgetty	11	5	0	6	-44	46
Badgers	11	3	1	7	-59	45
Lamphey	11	5	0	6	-10	44
Llanteg	8	4	0	4	-5	41
Cosheston	9	3	1	5	-13	40

If you’d like, I can also turn this into a shorter snippet for the website or expand with quotes, season context, or upcoming fixtures.

News

Search under way in Pembroke Dock for missing man Lee

Published

59 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Coastguard, RNLI and rescue helicopter launched as fears grow he entered the water

A MAJOR search and rescue operation is under way tonight (Sunday) in the Pembroke Dock and Pennar areas as emergency services look for 48-year-old Lee, who has been reported missing and is feared to have entered the water near the Pennar estuary.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued an urgent appeal earlier today after Lee, who is from Cardigan, failed to return home. He was last seen at around 5:00pm on Saturday (December 13) on CCTV in Pembroke Dock. The image shows him travelling on foot and carrying bags.

Lee is described as 5ft 10in tall, of medium build, with short light-brown hair and short facial hair. At the time he was wearing a blue/grey Christmas jumper, a red hat, dark trousers and light trainers. Police say he is also known to travel by train.

Concerns escalated this afternoon after officers received information suggesting Lee may have entered the water around the Pennar estuary.

HM Coastguard teams and the RNLI lifeboat from Angle have been searching the shoreline and waterway since mid-afternoon. A rescue helicopter from Cornwall (operating out of RAF St Mawgan/Cornwall Airport) is now assisting with aerial searches. The operation is ongoing in increasingly challenging conditions.

Search crews are dealing with cold, wet and windy weather, with conditions expected to worsen significantly overnight. An amber Met Office warning for heavy rain comes into force at 4:00am on Monday (15 December), with forecasters warning of fast-flowing floodwater and hazardous visibility across Pembrokeshire.

Police are urging anyone who may have seen Lee, or who has information that could help the search, to make contact immediately by calling phoning: 101. Quote reference: DP-20251214-176