Suspended jail term for man who sold dangerous second hand cars

Published

3 years ago

November 14, 2022

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.”

Reform reveals west Wales candidates for Senedd battle

Published

7 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Monkton councillor tops Pembrokeshire list as party confirms Carmarthenshire names and includes Haverfordwest councillor in unwinnable Swansea spot

REFORM UK has unveiled its full list of candidates for the 2026 Senedd election, setting out its challenge across west Wales including Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.

The party has named Susan Claire Archibald, a sitting councillor for Monkton on Pembroke Town Council, as its lead candidate for the Ceredigion Preseli, Mid and South Pembrokeshire regional list.

Speaking to The Herald, Archibald said: “I am honoured to represent Reform UK and Wales.” She added that a fuller statement outlining her priorities would be released in due course.

The remaining candidates on the Pembrokeshire regional list are Paul Marr, a former prison officer, Michael Allen, Elisa Randall, Peter John and Bernard Holton.

Carmarthenshire candidates named

Reform has also confirmed its list for the Caerfyrddin and Llanelli region, with Gareth Beer placed first, followed by Carmelo Colasanto, Sarah Edwards, Christopher Brooke, Alan Cole and Michelle Beer.

The announcement forms part of a nationwide rollout of candidates as the party seeks to establish itself as a credible electoral force ahead of the 2026 vote.

Thorley listed in Swansea region

Among the names included elsewhere is Scott Thorley, a Haverfordwest-based councillor and the first Reform representative elected to Pembrokeshire County Council.

Thorley appears on the party’s list for the Gower and Swansea West region, where he is placed sixth.

Under the Senedd’s proportional representation system, candidates placed lower on regional lists are significantly less likely to be elected, meaning his position is widely viewed as a paper candidacy to complete the slate.

Election framing

Reform Wales leader Dan Thomas said the party was offering voters a stark political choice.

He said: “After a hundred years of failure, Labour are finished in Wales. The choice at this election is what comes next — common sense and a fresh start with Reform, or independence by stealth with Plaid Cymru.”

The Herald understands that further announcements, including candidate profiles and policy details, are expected in the coming weeks as the campaign begins to take shape.

Crime

Man bailed after serious assault in Fishguard town centre

Published

8 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in Fishguard that has left a man in hospital.

The incident happened on Main Street at around 11:00pm on Saturday (Mar 21), when the victim was reportedly punched, sustaining head injuries. He remains in hospital receiving treatment.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and has since been released on bail while enquiries continue.

Dyfed-Powys Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, or who may have information that could assist the investigation, to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police quoting reference: 26*227686.

Information can be provided online via the Dyfed-Powys Police website, by emailing [email protected], by calling 101, or by sending a direct message on social media.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org.

News

Childcare funding boost announced in Wales

Published

9 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Hourly rate to rise as costs increase

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has confirmed an increase in the hourly rate paid to childcare providers under its Childcare Offer, following a review of funding levels.

The Minister for Children and Social Care, DAWN BOWDEN MS, announced that the rate will rise to £6.67 per hour from April 6, 2026. The increase of 4.18% comes after feedback from childcare providers and sector data gathered during 2025.

The Welsh Government said the change is designed to help providers cope with rising costs, including increases to the National Living Wage.

The Herald understands the review drew on responses from the Childcare Offer’s Annual Survey, as well as information from Care Inspectorate Wales’ Self-Assessment of Service Statement (SASS).

The move follows a policy shift announced last year to review the rate annually, rather than every three years, in a bid to make funding more responsive to pressures facing the sector.

As part of the update, the maximum charge for meals will also increase by 4.18%, which ministers say is intended to balance affordability for both providers and parents.

Dawn Boden said the Welsh Government remains committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of childcare services, adding that officials will continue working with the sector to explore further improvements.