Crime

West Wales gardener guilty of deliberate crash into taxi

Published

10 months ago

April 11, 2024

FOLLOWING an incident which took place on North Road, Cardigan, a local gardener, Charlotte Finley, has been found guilty of reversing her car deliberately into a parked taxi, causing significant damage and narrowly avoiding injuring the taxi driver.

The event occurred at 10.30 pm on June 4 last year, leaving the local community in disbelief.

Captured by CCTV outside a nearby shop, the footage reveals Finley, 37, from St Dogmaels, reversing not once, but three times into the taxi.

The final manoeuvre, executed with alarming speed and apparent intent, came perilously close to hitting the taxi driver, who had just exited his vehicle. The damage inflicted on the taxi is estimated at £500.

The confrontation escalated when the taxi owner approached Finley, only to be met with the assertion, “you are not in the taxi rank,” before she executed her final, forceful reverse. Witnesses and CCTV footage corroborated the sequence of events that unfolded on the quiet street.

Presented before Swansea Crown Court this Wednesday, Finley pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and criminal damage. Her barrister, Jonathan Tarrant, highlighted Finley’s isolated social circumstances and pressures as mitigating factors, insisting that alcohol was not a contributing factor.

Despite having ten previous convictions, including criminal damage and two instances of drink-driving, Finley received a sentence that reflected her immediate admission of guilt.

His Honour Judge Geraint Walters sentenced her to eight months in prison for the dangerous driving charge and two months for criminal damage, both suspended for two years. In addition to being disqualified from driving for a year, Finley must also retake her driving test, pay a £114 victim surcharge, complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and undergo 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

Judge Walters, addressing Finley, emphasized the gravity of her actions and the potential consequences of violating the court’s orders, stating, “If you breach the order you will end up serving the sentence.”

This case serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of reckless behaviour on our roads and the judiciary’s commitment to upholding public safety.

Crime

Attempted burglary at the Welsh Bakery, Milford Haven

Published

2 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are investigating an attempted burglary at the flat above the Welsh Bakery on Robert Street, Milford Haven. The incident is believed to have occurred between 4:30pm on Saturday, January 18, and 8:45am on Monday, January 20, 2025.

It is understood that force was used in an attempt to gain access to the upstairs flat.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact PC 865 Andy Baxter at Haverfordwest police station. You can reach out via:

Online: Dyfed-Powys Police Contact Form

Email: [email protected]

Direct message on social media

Phone: 101

Please quote reference number 50 of January 20.

Crime

Lung condition cited as defence in Haverfordwest drink-drive case

Published

2 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A LUNG condition has landed a Hakin man in the dock after he refused to give a breath test when suspected of driving through Haverfordwest town centre while over the drink-drive limit.

Frank Morrissey was stopped by officers on December 12 and asked to provide a roadside breath test. He refused.

This week Morrissey, 58, of Glebelands, Hakin, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court, where he denied failing to provide the breath test for analysis. His solicitor, Tom Lloyd, claimed his client suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is a lung condition resulting in breathing difficulties. As a result, the defendant was unable to provide the breath test.

The case was adjourned to March 20, when Morrissey’s trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court. He was released on unconditional bail.

Crime

New Year’s Day drink-driver crashes into parked car

Published

2 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A NEW YEAR’S DAY drinking spree has resulted in a lengthy disqualification for Pembroke motorist Pauline Turner, who crashed into a parked Mercedes while over twice the drink-drive limit.

Police were called to St Anne’s Crescent, Pembroke Dock, just before 2:30pm on January 1, following reports that a black Toyota Yaris had collided with a parked Mercedes.

Officers discovered Turner, 61, who admitted being the driver of the Yaris.

“She identified herself to police officers and told them that she’d consumed five or six pints,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week.

After admitting the charge of drink-driving, Turner, of Ashdale Lane, Pembroke, was disqualified from driving for 20 months. She was fined £150 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £60 surcharge.