Crime
Friday the 13th results in hefty disqualification for motorist
FRIDAY the 13th proved disastrous for motorist Kai Barrett when he was pulled over by police officers in the forecourt of Llanteg petrol filling station and found to be driving with two illegal drug substances in his system.
This week district judge Mark Layton was told that the officers’ suspicions were aroused on Friday, October 13, 2023, when they noticed one of the brake lights on Barrett’s Ford Fiesta was defective.
“The officers followed the Ford Fiesta to a petrol station and saw two males swap places,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates.
“But police had already seen the defendant drive the vehicle. And when roadside drug swipes were carried out, they proved positive.”
Further blood samples revealed that Barrett, 26, of Tetsworth in Oxfordshire had been driving in excess of the specified Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol limit as well as the cocaine derivative, benzoylecgonine. He provided readings of 2.1 (Delta-9, with the legal limit being 2) and 80 (benzoylecgonine, with a legal limit of 50).
Barrett, who is a self-employed plasterer, was disqualified from driving for 17 months. He was sentenced to a 12 month community order during which he must carry out ten rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.
Crime
Fugitive on FBI’s Most Wanted List arrested in North Wales
ONE of America’s most wanted fugitives has appeared in court after being apprehended in north Wales last week.
Daniel Andreas San Diego, 46, was arrested in Maenan, Conwy, following a joint operation involving North Wales Police and counter-terrorism officers. San Diego has been on the FBI’s most wanted list for over two decades, accused of orchestrating two bombings in San Francisco in 2003.
Court appearance
San Diego appeared via video link from HMP Belmarsh at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday. Wearing a grey tracksuit, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. He is scheduled to appear in court again on December 31.
The charges
The FBI alleges that San Diego planted two bombs at a biotechnology corporation campus in Emeryville, California, on August 28, 2003. The bombs detonated an hour apart, causing significant damage. A month later, on September 26, 2003, a bomb packed with nails exploded outside a nutritional products company in Pleasanton.
San Diego was indicted in July 2004 at the United States District Court for his alleged involvement in the attacks. He has been linked to an animal rights extremist group, according to the FBI, which previously offered a $250,000 (£198,000) reward for information leading to his capture.
Life on the run
Born in Berkeley, California, San Diego evaded authorities for 21 years before his arrest. The FBI said he had maintained connections with groups sympathetic to his cause and utilized sophisticated methods to remain undetected.
Why North Wales?
Questions remain as to why San Diego chose a quiet Welsh village as his hiding place. His arrest in Maenan has sparked speculation about the networks that may have supported him during his years as a fugitive.
The investigation into San Diego’s activities and potential associates in the UK is ongoing.
Crime
Motorist almost three times over drink limit
A MOTORIST who was nearly three times over the drink-drive limit has been sentenced following a crash on the B4314 in Pendine.
Stuart Rickford, 43, was driving his Audi at 1:30pm on November 15 when he collided with another vehicle.
“There were no injuries, but when officers spoke to the defendant they had a strong smell of intoxicants,” Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told the court.
A roadside breath test proved positive, and Rickford, of Beach Hotel, Marsh Road, Pendine, later gave a reading of 93 mcg of alcohol at the police station. The legal limit is 35.
Rickford pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a 12-month Community Order with 80 hours of unpaid work. He was disqualified from driving for 23 months and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.
Crime
Man jailed for threats at Withybush Hospital
A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sentenced to seven days in custody after threatening to harm members of the public at Withybush Hospital.
Wayne Tydeman, 42, made threats while speaking to a community practice nurse following his release from a 24-week custodial sentence.
“He was on post-sentence supervision, and this is the first breach,” probation officer Julie Norman told the court.
Tydeman, of Dew Street, Haverfordwest, was remanded in custody and appeared via video link from Park Prison. His solicitor said his mental health had improved during his time in custody.
Judge Layton sentenced him to seven days in custody, warning: “If you fail to engage in the future, the sentence will be considerably longer.”
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