News

Fishguard man acquitted of child sex offences after Crown Court retrial

Published

3 years ago

May 19, 2023

FOLLOWING a retrial held at Swansea Crown Court, Brian Buckle, a 51-year-old resident of Fishguard, was acquitted of a series of historical child sex offences on Friday (May 19) .

The 12 charges against him included allegations of indecent assault, indecency with a child, and attempted rape, all of which were said to have occurred between March 31, 1993, and April 1, 1996.

It is important to note that each of these allegations pertained to the same complainant.

The previous conviction of Buckle, who was 45 at the time, took place in 2017 when he was sentenced to a combined 33 years in prison.

The sentence stipulated that he would serve this period over 15 years.

However, a retrial was ordered by the Court of Appeal last year, leading to the recent proceedings at Swansea Crown Court.

After trial lasting two weeks, during which the court heard extensive arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, the 11-member jury (One had left before the end of the trial because of a pre-booked holiday which had not been mentioned during jury selection) unanimously returned a not guilty verdict on each of the counts.

Deliberations lasted just over four hours.

The prosecution contended that Buckle had sexually abused the complainant, who was between eight and ten years old at the time of the alleged offenses.

They presented forensic evidence linking Buckle to the complainant through traces of his semen found on her childhood diary.

In his defence, Buckle vehemently denied all charges, asserting that he was being framed.

Cleared: Brian Buckle said he was framed

He maintained his innocence throughout the trial, telling the jury, “I never sexually abused, or physically or mentally abused, the complainant.”

Buckle’s barrister argued that his client had never seen the diary, which was referred to as “the invisible diary,” until the 2017 trial.

The defence further claimed that Buckle’s DNA must have been planted on it, potentially originating from a used condom.

Dr. Candice Bridge, a forensic chemist, testified that traces of lubricant used in condoms were present in the semen found.

During the trial, the complainant was questioned as to why she had never reported the allegations to the police.

She explained that she had had negative experiences with the police throughout her life.

In response, the defence barrister argued, “It’s because the defendant did not do these things.”

The retrial shed new light on a case that had been ongoing since 2015 when the charges were initially brought to the attention of the police by the complainant’s father during an unrelated interview.

As the retrial concluded with a not guilty verdict, Brian Buckle walked free from the courtroom, finally proving his innocence in the face of the historical child sex offence charges that had haunted him for years.

It now remains to be seen if the police will investigate the allegation made by Buckle that he was “framed” and that others had seemingly deliberately sought to pervert the course of justice in order to send an innocent main to jail.

Health

Mental health waits hit post-pandemic high

Published

27 minutes ago

July 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

More than 9,000 people in Wales are waiting for specialist psychological therapies, with almost half waiting longer than six months

MORE than 9,000 people with moderate to severe mental health conditions are waiting to access specialist psychological therapies in Wales, according to new figures obtained by Mind Cymru.

The charity says the number of people waiting for treatment is now at its highest level since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Freedom of Information data gathered from all seven local health boards shows that, as of December 2025, almost half of those waiting, around 47%, had been on the list for longer than 26 weeks.

Mind Cymru said more than 4,300 people had been waiting more than six and a half months for specialist psychological therapies by December 2025.

That figure has almost doubled since March 2024, when 2,305 people were waiting more than 26 weeks.

The charity is now calling on the Welsh Government to make mental health a priority during the next Senedd term, with a focus on reducing waiting times and improving early access to support.

Aled Edwards, from Bangor, said he was told he faced a two-year wait to see a psychologist as an outpatient at a mental health hospital near his home, despite experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts.

The father-of-two was instead placed on a list to see a psychiatrist in the hope he could access support more quickly, but said it still took another 18 months before he finally received the help he needed.

Aled, who was later diagnosed with a male form of post-natal depression, said: “This was at a point in my life where I had already tried to take my own life and I was considering trying again, so this time I went to ask for help instead.

“I was experiencing some really dark thoughts and I was desperate for support.

“When I did get to see a psychiatrist, they left their job after three sessions and I went back into the system to wait for a further six months before starting trauma therapy with another doctor.

“Finding the skills to cope with the kind of intrusive thoughts I was having in the meantime was really hard, and I feel fortunate that I had the means to access private counselling support to keep me going during that period, where so many others might not.”

Mind Cymru has requested the same waiting list data from local health boards three times since 2020, as part of its campaign for improved access to specialist psychological therapies in Wales.

Its original Too Long To Wait report called for more investment in specialist psychological therapies, stronger governance around how local health boards collect and submit waiting time data, and for the figures to be made publicly available.

The charity says those recommendations remain relevant, but that urgent action is now also needed to transform the mental health system so people can access support earlier.

Simon Jones, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Mind Cymru, said the findings showed that mental health must be a central priority for the Welsh Government.

He said: “There’s clearly a very real and growing need for increasing numbers of people to receive specialist psychological support for their mental health in Wales.

“These are people living with moderate, severe and enduring mental health conditions, and those most in need of support.

“That so many are waiting too long to access therapies is placing further demand on a system already under pressure, and there’s a need for significant investment to be made at all levels to help people access the support they need, when they need it.

“With plans already in place to transform Wales’ mental health system and help deliver open access care, we need now to ensure these plans are prioritised and invested in so that we can start to see that positive impact as soon as possible.

“No one should be waiting longer than six months for support with a serious mental health issue. With this in mind, Mind Cymru is calling on the new Welsh Government to make mental health a priority across the next Senedd term.”

Specialist psychological therapies are structured, evidence-based treatments delivered by trained clinicians for specific mental health conditions or complex psychological needs.

They include therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, Cognitive Analytic Therapy and Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy.

Crime

Man in critical condition after serious assault in New Quay

Published

16 hours ago

July 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A 20-YEAR-OLD man remains in a critical condition in hospital after being seriously assaulted in New Quay.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the incident happened at around 12:51am on Saturday (July 4) in Margaret Street, leading to Uplands Square.

The victim suffered serious, life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and remains in police custody.

Police said enquiries are progressing, led by CID and the Major Crime Team. A visible police presence is expected to remain in the area over the coming days.

Officers are appealing for witnesses, or anyone with information, to come forward.

Anyone who can help is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by emailing [email protected], by direct message on social media, or by calling 101.

Quote reference: DP-20260704-028.

Community

Kilgetty and Begelly tractor run raises funds for local charities

Published

18 hours ago

July 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Around 70 tractors joined the annual charity road run, hosted by the Begelly Arms Hotel

THE ANNUAL Kilgetty and Begelly Charity Tractor Run brought a colourful convoy to the roads around the Narberth area on Saturday (Jul 4), with around 70 tractors taking part.

The event was hosted by the Begelly Arms Hotel, where farmers, families and supporters gathered before the start of the run.

Entrants were treated to bacon rolls and coffee by the hosts before setting off, while many families took the opportunity to pose for photographs alongside the tractors.

The road run once again proved to be a popular community event, bringing together local farmers, vintage tractor enthusiasts and supporters for a good cause.

The sight of dozens of tractors heading out together made an impressive display as the convoy travelled through the local area.

Organisers said local charities are set to benefit from money raised at the event.

The annual run has become a well-supported fixture in the local calendar, with farming families turning out in force to take part and support the fundraising effort.

For further information, contact Peter Adams at the Begelly Arms on 01834 812601.

Pictures: Malcolm Richards