Magistrates impose suspended 42-day prison term after finding of wilful refusal to pay

A ST FLORENCE man has been given a suspended prison term after magistrates found that he had wilfully refused to pay more than £2,000 in child maintenance.

Christopher James Gough, aged 40, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 13.

The court heard that £2,120.91 remained outstanding in child maintenance and associated costs.

Proceedings were brought by the Child Maintenance Service under the Child Support Act 1991.

Magistrates found that Gough had wilfully refused to make the required payments and concluded that no other method of enforcement was appropriate.

He was ordered to pay the full outstanding sum or serve 42 days in prison.

The prison term was suspended on condition that Gough pays £40 each week, with the first payment due by July 27.

He was also ordered to pay £46 towards the costs of the Child Maintenance Service.

No details relating to the child or the other parent were disclosed during the published court proceedings.
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Seventy-year-old failed to seek prompt veterinary treatment for bulldog suffering from dry eye and a skin infection

A KILGETTY man has been banned from keeping animals for seven years after admitting that he caused unnecessary suffering to his bulldog.

Michael John Edward McGartland, aged 70, of Woodlands, Kilgetty, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 13.

The court heard that between July 12 and December 20, 2025, McGartland failed to seek prompt veterinary treatment for a bulldog named George.

The animal had been showing signs of ill health, including dry eye and a skin infection.

McGartland admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal by failing to act when he knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that his failure was likely to cause suffering.

He had entered a guilty plea at an earlier hearing on May 26.

Magistrates fined McGartland £769 and ordered him to pay £400 in prosecution costs and a £308 victim surcharge, bringing the total financial penalty to £1,477.

He was also disqualified for seven years from owning, keeping, dealing in or transporting animals.

The order also prevents him from participating in the keeping of animals or becoming involved in any arrangement allowing him to control or influence how an animal is kept.

McGartland will not be permitted to apply for the disqualification order to be lifted for at least five years.

The outstanding balance will be paid at a rate of £100 per month, beginning on August 10.
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A MAJOR operation to remove a former fishing vessel which ran aground off the Pembrokeshire coast is nearing completion.

The 24-metre Resolute became stranded on rocks near Fishguard after drifting ashore during rough seas in the early hours of December 11 last year.

The vessel had been working as a guard boat for an offshore wind farm near Ireland when it got into difficulty. All four crew members were safely rescued by lifeboat.

After remaining on the rocks for more than six months, specialist marine contractors Jevington Logistics began dismantling the wreck on June 29.

The Pembroke Dock-based company has positioned a 36-metre barge alongside the wreck, using an excavator fitted with powerful metal-cutting shears to break the vessel into large sections.

These sections are then lifted onto the barge and cut into smaller pieces using oxy-propane torches before being transported to a local recycling company.

Around 110 tonnes of steel are expected to be recovered from the heavily built vessel.

Steve Bradley, operations director at Jevington Logistics, said the condition and position of the wreck meant dismantling it in sections was the safest and most practical way of removing it.

The Resolute had suffered several substantial holes to its hull, while access to the wreck was restricted by rocks and a narrow channel.

A shallow-draught barge equipped with legs which can be driven into the seabed was brought in to provide a stable working platform.

Mr Bradley said the vessel was being systematically divided into five main sections, which were then being lifted onto the barge for further dismantling.

The operation has presented a number of challenges, including manoeuvring the barge close enough to the wreck and dealing with changing sea conditions.

Work had to be suspended for two days after the swell became too large for the salvage operation to continue safely.

Environmental protection measures have also been put in place, including a containment boom around the wreck.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has monitored the operation and was said to be satisfied with the pollution prevention arrangements.

Most of the Resolute’s remaining fuel was removed and transferred ashore earlier this year. A small amount of pollution was initially identified following the grounding, but no further pollution incidents have been reported.

Once the main structure has been removed, salvage teams will inspect the surrounding rocks and seabed to make sure no pieces of the vessel or other debris have been left behind.

The stranded ship has attracted considerable attention from residents and visitors since it was washed onto the rocks near Fishguard last winter.