News
Suspended jail term for man who sold dangerous second hand cars
A HAVERFORDWEST man has received a suspended prison term for selling dangerous and unsafe second hand cars following a Pembrokeshire County Council investigation.
Pembrokeshire Trading Standards team investigated after receiving complaints from people who had bought cars from Shamus Julius Dewaine, of Castleton Grove, Haverfordwest.
Dewaine supplied two cars in a dangerous and unsafe condition causing a risk to the driver and passengers and other road users.
Photographs showed the vehicles to be severely rusted.
Another car was sold in ‘un-roadworthy’ condition that would not pass an MOT.
Dewaine appeared before Swansea Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 4th November.
He had previously admitted three counts of fraud by false representation and three offences of breaching consumer protection legislation and supplying an unsafe product.
The Court heard Dewaine bought the cars for scrap value, aware of their poor condition, and sold them shortly after at a much higher price and having done no work to repair the faults.
One vehicle was bought for £330 and then sold the next day in exactly the same condition for £950. Dewaine told the customer that this car had been in his family for four years.
One of Dewaine’s customers was an elderly man with mobility issues and another was a young man who had only just passed his driving test.
Two of the cars were delivered in the dark so it was difficult for the customers to inspect the car and Dewaine was described as ‘pushy’ with the sales.
Dewaine made fraudulent claims regarding the cars, claiming that they were in good condition and work had recently been completed when it had not.
He stated that one car had a much longer MOT than it actually had and one car, delivered in the dark, had new tyres, when they were actually very worn.
Dewaine went to great lengths to convince customers he was a private seller instead of a trader in order to deny customers their consumer rights.
However, Trading Standards collected evidence of 43 adverts for cars by Dewaine via Facebook and on the roadside over a two year period.
Dewaine had also used a friend’s Facebook page to advertise a car.
Dewaine was sentenced to a total of nine months in prison suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to complete a thinking skills course.
He must also pay £850 compensation to one victim and £545 to the other.
The court heard Pembrokeshire Council had spent £15,000 investigating and prosecuting Dewaine.
Cllr Michelle Bateman, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said: “I commend the work undertaken by the Trading Standards team on this case.
“The sale of dangerous and unsafe cars is extremely serious and I hope this prosecution serves as a warning for those who seek to make money without any concern about the potential consequences.
“We would always recommend that buyers take advice on buying second hand cars before handing over money.”
Community
Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire
THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.
With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.
John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.
Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.
Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.
Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.
Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.
National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.
“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.
“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”
Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.
The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.
News
Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections
CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.
Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.
In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.
The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.
Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:
“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”
Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.
Business
Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite
UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.
The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.
Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.
Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”
For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.
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