News

Haverfordwest Provident Financial agent had ‘fake lenders’

Published

11 years ago

October 21, 2014

AN AGENT for a loan company lent herself more than £6,000 using false names and addresses, a judge on Friday (Oct 17)

Alexandra Jane Evans, aged 33, disappeared when the fraud came to light and it took five years to track her down.

Evans, who at the time was living in Haverfordwest, admitted 11 offences of fraud and was made the subject of a suspended prison sentence.

Ian Ibrahim, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court Evans had been an agent for Provident Financial in the Pembrokeshire area and her job was to collect payments from clients and to grant new loans.

To approve new loans she was supposed to visit the applicants at home and to ensure they were using proper identities.

But she invented nine clients and falsely claimed that an existing client had taken out two more loans, eventually pocketing £6,200.

Mr Ibrahim said Evans was placed on a police “wanted” list but managed to evade the law between April, 2009 and 2014. She had once been detained at Bristol airport returning from a holiday but had a young child with her and had to be released.

After her eventual arrest, said Mr Ibrahim, Evans continued to maintain the loans had been genuine, although the address of one client turned out to be a branch of Greggs the bakers in Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, and several others simply did not exist.

But on the day her trial was due to begin she changed her pleas to guilty.

By then she had left Haverfordwest to live near Cwmbran in Gwent.

Evans’ barrister, Huw Wallace, said she had got into financial difficulties.

Judge Keith Thomas said after the offending had been discovered Evans had buried her head in the sand.

She was jailed for 11 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to repay Provident Financial £2,000 at the rate of £150 a month.

Crime

Man sentenced after admitting possession of pepper spray and knuckleduster

Published

15 minutes ago

April 15, 2026

Court Reporter

Court hears prohibited weapons were found at Penygroes address

A 41-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced after admitting possessing a knuckleduster and indicating a guilty plea to possessing pepper spray.

Llanelli Magistrates’ Court heard that Oliver Lycett, of Bridge Street, Penygroes, was before the court on Tuesday (Apr 14) in connection with the two weapons offences.

The first charge stated that on Oct 18, 2025, Lycett possessed a knuckleduster in a private place, contrary to the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

He also faced a second charge of possessing pepper spray without the authority of the Secretary of State, an offence under the Firearms Act 1968.

The court record shows Lycett entered a guilty plea to the knuckleduster offence and an indicated guilty plea to the pepper spray offence.

District Judge M Layton imposed a community order running until Apr 13, 2027.

As part of the sentence, Lycett must complete up to 10 days of rehabilitation activity.

The court also ordered the deprivation of both weapons, meaning the knuckleduster and the pepper spray are to be forfeited.

Lycett was fined £120. He was also ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge.

A collection order was made, with deductions from benefits and the financial penalty to be paid in full within 28 days.

Crime

Pembrokeshire man to stand trial accused of rape in Tenby

Published

17 minutes ago

April 15, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Defendant denies allegation as case is sent to Swansea Crown Court

A PEMBROKESHIRE man is due to stand trial at Swansea Crown Court accused of raping a woman in Tenby town centre.

Dean Gough, 48, of Orielton, Pembroke, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week charged with rape.

The court heard that Gough is accused of intentionally penetrating the woman’s vagina at a property in Tenby on December 7, 2022, without her consent and without reasonably believing that she was consenting.

During the hearing, Gough factually denied the allegation.

The case has now been sent to Swansea Crown Court, where trial proceedings are due to begin on May 15.

Gough was released on unconditional bail.

Crime

Driver banned after cocaine remained in system following trip from MOT

Published

20 minutes ago

April 15, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Milford Haven man told magistrates he did not realise drugs taken days earlier would still be detectable

A MILFORD HAVEN motorist has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Ben Conroy, 22, of Picton Road, Hakin, Milford Haven, was stopped by police at around 5:00pm on December 12 following a moving traffic offence on Steynton Road.

A roadside drugs wipe tested positive for cocaine. Further blood analysis later showed he had 240 microgrammes of benzoylecgonine and 24 microgrammes of cocaine in his system. The legal limits are 50 and 10 respectively.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that Conroy had just collected his Ford Focus following an MOT and was driving to a friend’s house when he was stopped.

After he pleaded guilty to two charges of drug-driving, his solicitor, Alaw Harries, said the drugs had been taken several days earlier during a friend’s celebration.

“He’d taken the drugs several days previously at a friend’s celebration and didn’t realise they would still be in his system,” she said.

“This has been a genuine learning curve for the defendant and he is determined not to come before the courts again.”

Conroy was disqualified from driving for 17 months.

Magistrates also imposed a 12-month community order, during which he must complete a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement and ten rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 in costs.