News

Rogue Pembrokeshire roofer handed suspended prison sentence

Published

6 months ago

November 7, 2023

A rogue roofer who carried out work that wasn’t required on the home of a vulnerable couple and charged them thousands of pounds has been sentenced to a suspended prison term of 15 months.

Toby Price of Broadmoor was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, November 6th following a successful investigation and prosecution brought by Pembrokeshire County Council Trading Standards.

Price admitted four charges of fraud and one offence of engaging in a misleading commercial practice by omitting contractual information including cancellation rights.

The Court heard that Price was trading as ‘Best Price Roofing Services’ when he was contacted by the victim about a slipped roof tile which had caused a damp patch on an upstairs ceiling.

Price visited and quoted £800 for the work, falsely claiming that the high cost was for insurance in case he had an accident.

An independent contractor later said the repair should have cost about £80 plus VAT.

While there Price claimed he had noticed the chimney stack to be leaning or warped and estimated a cost of repair to be £8,000. He told the victim that he would do the work for between £4,000 and £5,000.

When the victim said he would think about it, Price said the chimney stack could fall and potentially injure the victim’s wife who was largely confined to the living room due to health conditions.

The victim felt pressured and concerned about his wife’s safety and agreed to the repair.

Price spent around 30-45 minutes on the roof with a trowel and a bucket of cement. He charged £4,500 for the work.

An independent contractor later examined the chimney and stated that it was safe and not leaning or warped.

Rendering work of poor quality had been carried out and estimated to have cost approximately £100 plus VAT.

The fraud was discovered when the victim’s usual maintenance company later attended and contacted the Council.

A telephone number on a business card provided by the defendant did not work and when contacted by

Trading Standards on another number provided to the victim, the man who answered claimed it was a wrong number.

The impact on the victim and his wife has been profound, causing them stress and concern about a loss of their savings.

Cllr Michelle Bateman, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said: “I welcome the sentence handed to Price today and thank the Trading Standards team for their diligent work on this prosecution.
“Price targeted a vulnerable couple and charged them an extortionate amount for work that did not need to be carried out.
“The victims have been left badly affected by Price’s actions and I hope this case shows that the Council will not stand for this sort of callous behaviour.”

Price was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He must carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

Price must also pay the victim £900 in compensation.

Crime

Former Pembroke Dock mayor admits child abuse image charges

Published

1 hour ago

May 10, 2024

Tom Sinclair

AT Swansea Crown Court on Friday (May 10), former Pembroke Dock Mayor Terry Judkins has pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

Judkins, who held office as mayor from May 2021 until his resignation in November 2021, faced multiple charges related to child abuse images.

The court heard that Judkins was charged with creating two Category C indecent images of children and possessing a prohibited image of a child during a period spanning from September 27, 2018, to August 5, 2021.

The 55-year-old admitted to these offences in a hearing that has drawn considerable attention.

However, Judkins denied charges related to possessing extreme pornographic images that depicted bestiality, covering a timeline from January 2010 to August 2021.

Prosecutor Helen Randall indicated that the Crown would pursue a trial on these allegations given Judkins’ not guilty plea.

Additional charges against Judkins include making 52 Category A indecent images of children within the same dates as his earlier admissions.

The former mayor has been granted extra time to consider his plea on this charge, with a future court appearance scheduled for a later date.

This case has cast a shadow over Judkins’ brief tenure as mayor. He resigned last year citing personal reasons and extra work commitments.

News

Welsh rally star eyeing second British championship success

Published

9 hours ago

May 10, 2024

Tom Sinclair

OSAIN PRYCE is eyeing his second British Rally Championship (BRC) title after a recording a superb victory in the Severn Valley Stages.

The Welsh star and co-driver Rhodri Evans finished 20 seconds ahead of Irish driver William Creighton, with championship leader Chris Ingram claiming third place.

The result left Pryce 15 points adrift of Ingram after two rounds and boosted his chances of adding to his 2022 British title success.

Pryce was excellent in his Ford Fiesta Rally2, wowing the sizeable crowds who lined iconic stages such as Hafren Sweet Lamb and Myherin.

The Welshman established an early lead over Ingram before withstanding a charge by Creighton to claim his first BRC victory since Rally Yorkshire in 2022.

“It’s a big relief – I’m so happy to get the win,” Pryce said. “We had a dodgy couple of stages at the end, and to be honest, it was so slippy, but I drove at a pace where I was comfortable.

“I did lose some time, which in the end wasn’t too bad, but we certainly had some hairy moments just trying to keep it on the road. Credit to everyone who’s got me here. Top job from Rhodri too – that’s his first-ever win!

While Ingram currently leads the standings by four points from Creighton, the Irishman could be the biggest threat to Pryce’s title hopes.

He is still getting to grips with his new Ford Fiesta Rally2 car, but has recorded back-to-back second place finishes to force his way into contention.

Bettors in Creighton’s homeland have backed their compatriot to emerge victorious this season, forcing bookmakers to cut his odds to win the title.

Several of the best Irish betting sites also make him the favourite to win the upcoming Jim Clark Rally in Scotland later this month.

However, Pryce will fancy his chances of claiming another victory as he strives to follow up his impressive 2022 British title success.

The Welshman won four of the seven events that season to clinch top spot by an emphatic 19-point margin from Keith Cronin.

With two of the final four rallies of the season set to be staged in Wales, Pryce could be a good bet to upset the odds over the next few months.

He has previously won Rali Ceredigion and the Cambrian Rally, which should give him the confidence he needs to secure another British title.

Farming

King Charles III is new Royal Welsh Agricultural Society patron

Published

9 hours ago

May 10, 2024

Tom Sinclair

KING CHARLES III has continued a royal tradition by agreeing to become the new patron of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS).

As Prince of Wales, he consistently supported the RWAS, having visited the Royal Welsh Show seven times from 1969 to 2019 and he opened the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in 2001.

“To have the monarch as our patron is very special,” said Aled Rhys Jones, RWAS chief executive. “We are immensely grateful to His Majesty for continuing his support to the society.

“He is a true champion of rural matters and has a deep affection for Wales. His support as patron will be a great endorsement to the work we do in promoting Welsh agriculture.”

The decision follows a review of the patronages of the late Queen, the former Prince of Wales and the former Duchess of Cornwall. The letter from Buckingham Palace to the RWAS read: ‘His Majesty would be delighted to accept’.

The Queen was patron of the RWAS for 70 years and showed great support. Her support reflected her long-lasting interest in Welsh agriculture, horticulture and rural affairs.

The Queen’s first official role with the RWAS was as Princess Elizabeth in 1947, when she was honorary president. She undertook a triumphant tour of the showground during a visit to the Royal Welsh Show, held in Carmarthen.

The late Queen had followed her late father, George VI, and her grandfather, George V in accepting the patronage.

King George V first became patron as Prince of Wales in 1907 and formally as King in 1911. His Silver Challenge Cup for the best Welsh Cob then became known as the George Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, one of the most famous cups presented at the Royal Welsh Show annually.