News

Man accused of 22 counts of child sexual abuse says that he is innocent

Published

1 year ago

August 3, 2023

DOMINIC DEWICK, from Haverfordwest, faces counts of sexually abusing two children. The trial began at Swansea Crown Court on Monday this week.

The first witness sworn in after the prosecution opened their case said that she endured eight years of sexual abuse as a child, and told the court how her innocence prevented her from realising his actions were wrong.

“I was seven years old when he began fondling me,” she told the jury.

“And it went on for eight years. It was only as I got older that I realised what he was doing wasn’t right and I tried to think of ways to make him stop.”

Dewick, 44, of Harrier Road, Haverfordwest, faces a total of 22 charges of sexual assault on a child, gross indecency to a child and assault by penetration on a child under 13. The charges are alleged to have been committed on the first witness between 1993 and 2002, and on Victim B between 2013 and 2017.

On Monday, she told the court that the offences against her began when she was seven years old.

The first incident involved Dewick removing her clothing before being assaulted.

“After that he would fondle my breasts and he did this for around eight years,” recalled Victim A.

Victim A said the assaults came to an end when she was 15.

“I was walking home from school one day and Dominic suggested we walked together,” she said.

“I was carrying a bag and a coat wrapped round my arm, and a folder in front of my chest. And then Dominic started taking the items away from me so he could carry them himself and had access to my breasts.

On day two of the trial this week, the second alleged victim described how he began abusing her when she was just nine years old.

“He started giving me sweets and chocolates as part of the grooming process, so that I would feel better with him, and like him,” she said.

“I was quite happy to receive the gifts but he also told me that my friends didn’t care about me. He also called me a b**ch once for making too much noise when I took some ice-cream out of the fridge. And that made me feel bad.”

Giving evidence to the court behind a screen she said the sexual assaults stemmed back to when the defendant began giving her massages, which then led to molestation.

The witness was asked by defence counsel James Hartson, KC, whether any of the alleged incidents stand out in her memory.

“Nothing stands out, per se,” she replied. “It’s just years and years’ worth that have made me terribly ill, depressed suicidal and extremely bad mentally.”

During the third day of his trial, Dewick vehemently denied all accusations and expressed feeling “dismayed and sick” when confronted by the police.

“I’d never do anything like that,” Dewick asserted with apparent shock as he addressed the court. “I was quite dismayed to hear this, and it was sick.”

The prosecution presented allegations that Dewick sexually assaulted Victim A repeatedly between 1993 and 2002 when she was only five to fifteen years old. Additionally, Victim 2 accused Dewick of multiple sexual assaults between 2013 and 2017.

The defence counsel, Nicola Powell KC, raised questions about the validity of the allegations, particularly regarding Victim A’s age when the alleged abuse began. Powell questioned whether a five-year-old child could fully comprehend and make such grave accusations.

Dewick maintained his innocence and described Victim A as ‘buggy,’ claiming she first accused him of rape when he was 13 and she was merely five years old. According to Dewick, she made a similar accusation when he was 16 and she was eight years old. However, he adamantly refuted the veracity of these claims, stating, “Not one accusation that was made by her was true.”

During the cross-examination, Powell confronted Dewick about his conduct during the initial police interview in 2022. The officers claimed he displayed a lack of respect, using terms like ‘sweetheart,’ and even chuckled when asked serious questions. Dewick explained that his chuckling was merely a “nervous laugh” due to the absurdity of the allegations levelled against him.

But the trial took an unexpected turn when the Crown brought up an incident from 2021 involving a third child who accused Dewick of inappropriate behaviour. The child claimed Dewick asked her for a “little strokey-strokey” massage. Nonetheless, no further legal action was taken regarding this accusation.

The Crown questioned the timing of the third child’s allegation, which coincided with the ages of the other victims when they were assaulted. Dewick, however, dismissed any sexual intent behind his actions, attributing the request for a back massage to his long-standing back pain.

The defence probed Dewick further regarding his medical evidence for the back pain, to which he replied that he had never visited a doctor for the issue.

THURSDAY AT COURT

Swansea Crown Court witnessed an intense third day of trial as Dominic Dewick expressed feeling “dismayed and sick” when confronted by the police with the allegations.

During the trial, Dewick vehemently denied the accusations, exclaiming, “I’d never do anything like that.” He recounted his reaction to the charges, stating, “I was quite dismayed to hear this, and it was sick.”

In a startling revelation, Dewick described the first victim, who was aged five at the time, as having accused him of rape when he was just 13 years old. According to Dewick, the same accusation resurfaced when he turned 16 and she was then eight years old.

Challenged during cross-examination by defence counsel Nicola Powell KC, Dewick’s explanation for the accusations came under scrutiny. Powell questioned whether a five-year-old could fully comprehend the gravity of such allegations. Additionally, she brought attention to Dewick’s behaviour during his initial police interview in 2022, where he was reported to have chuckled and shown a lack of respect towards the officers involved.

Responding to the accusations of chuckling, Dewick asserted, “It was an anxious laugh, a nervous laugh because it was so ridiculous to hear this story about me. I thought, ‘This has got to be a joke.’ It was laughable.”

The Crown later revealed that in 2021, a third child, aged nine, claimed that Dewick had asked her to engage in inappropriate behavior. However, no further legal action was taken regarding this particular allegation.

During the trial, the Crown questioned the coincidence of multiple allegations surfacing when the children were around the same age when the alleged assaults took place. Dewick dismissed any suggestion of sexual intent, attributing his actions to severe back pain that he had purportedly endured for years.

In an exchange with Judge Paul Thomas, Dewick was asked to provide medical evidence supporting his claim of back pain. However, he admitted to never seeking medical attention for this condition.

The trial continues.

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.