CALLS from concerned members of the public about a car being erratically driven through Neyland led to a drink-driving ban for a Llanstadwell man who was found to be more than three times over the legal limit.

Mervyn Jenkins, aged 47, was arrested at around 8:00pm on May 23 after police stopped his vehicle on Church Road, Llanstadwell.

“The officers had followed the vehicle and seen it swerving across the carriageway and shuddering, as if it had sustained significant damage,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

When Jenkins exited the vehicle, he was unsteady on his feet. A breath test conducted at the police station showed he had 114 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35.

In a probation interview, Jenkins told officer Catrin Jones he had consumed approximately ten pints of lager at a pub in Milford Haven before making the reckless decision to drive home.

“The event is all a bit hazy to him and he doesn’t know why he chose to get behind the wheel,” said Ms Jones.

“He described his behaviour as stupid and realises the risk he posed to others. The only fortunate thing is that nobody was hurt.”

The court heard that Jenkins, who works for a local steel fabrication company, regularly drinks up to twelve pints on Friday and Saturday nights while visiting local pubs.

“He drinks to excess but now acknowledges he needs support to reduce his intake,” added Ms Jones.

Jenkins, of Hazelbank, Llanstadwell, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and chose to represent himself in court.

“I’m ashamed of myself,” he said in mitigation.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 28 months and imposed a 12-month community order, requiring him to complete ten rehabilitation activity days and engage with the Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service. He must also complete a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring programme.

He was ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 in costs.

A PEMBROKESHIRE man awaiting sentence for drug offences came close to being remanded in custody after breaking his bail conditions—allegedly in an effort to clear up dog mess from a shared lawn.

John Phillips, 36, of Pen Puffin, Steynton, previously pleaded guilty to possessing drugs with intent to supply and was awaiting sentencing at Crown Court on June 27. He had been placed on strict bail conditions, including a nightly curfew.

However, on June 10, Phillips breached the curfew on ten separate occasions. Despite the number of incidents, the total time he spent outside his property amounted to just over 18 minutes.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard this week that the breaches stemmed from a domestic mishap.

“His dog escaped from the house and did what dogs do on the lawn that he shares with his neighbour,” said defence solicitor Michael Kelleher. “So the defendant had to go out, get the dog, and collect what had happened, as he didn’t want his neighbour to walk in the mess.”

Mr Kelleher added that Phillips made several attempts to contact the electronic tagging company to explain the curfew breaches, but received no response.

Phillips appeared before magistrates in custody on June 17 and admitted breaching his bail conditions. After hearing the mitigation, magistrates allowed him to be released on the same conditions.

“But if you come here again, it might be a different outcome,” warned the presiding magistrate.

Conservatives demand answers after ministers fail to provide figures to UK-wide audit

A FAILURE by Welsh Government ministers to submit key data on child sexual exploitation to a UK-wide audit has sparked accusations of a cover-up by a senior Welsh Conservative.

South Wales Central MS and former Senedd opposition leader Andrew RT Davies said the refusal or inability of Welsh Labour ministers to hand over figures to the National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse was “deeply concerning”.

The audit, led by Baroness Louise Casey, sought information from both the UK Department of Health and Social Care and the Welsh Government on how many cases of group-based child sexual abuse were encountered in health services. While data was received from Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in England, no equivalent information was provided by the Welsh Government.

Mr Davies said: “This will inevitably raise suspicions of a cover-up. It is deeply concerning to learn this data was not provided – and if it is not being collected, we must ask why.

“There are serious questions for Senedd ministers to answer. Transparency and cooperation are essential when tackling such grave crimes.”

The Casey audit was commissioned to investigate systemic responses to group-based child sexual abuse, often referred to in the media as “rape gang” exploitation, following high-profile failures in towns such as Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford.

In the report, Baroness Casey noted: “Data was sought from both the Department of Health and Social Care and the Government of Wales on how many cases of child sexual abuse or exploitation they see in health services. Only the Department of Health and Social Care provided data, via the Sexual Assault Referral Centres.”

The Welsh Government has not yet publicly responded to the findings, and it remains unclear whether the requested data was not collected, was withheld, or could not be provided in the format required by the audit.

Supporters of the Welsh Government may argue that data sharing across devolved services can be complex, particularly when systems for health and policing differ between nations. However, critics say the lack of cooperation in such a high-profile national review sends the wrong message about accountability.

The Herald has approached the Welsh Government for comment.

The audit’s wider findings highlight inconsistencies in data sharing and safeguarding oversight across the UK, and call for more joined-up approaches to ensure victims of exploitation do not fall through the cracks.