Crime

Drink-driver ‘crying out for support’, court hears

Published

8 months ago

June 12, 2024

A WOMAN described by her solicitor as having ‘reached rock bottom’ has appeared before magistrates after driving through Haverfordwest when she was more than three times over the drink-drive limit.

“This is a lady who’s crying out for support,” said Donna Owen’s solicitor, Mr David James, when she appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“My client has had an alcohol problem over a lengthy period of time and is harming herself by her excessive drinking.”

Owen, 39, of Portfield Avenue, Haverfordwest was stopped by officers as she drove her Vauxhall Corsa along the A406 at Johnston just before midnight on May 15.

“Police were aware that she was acting suspiciously as she’d applied her brakes harshly when she realised there was a police car behind her,” explained Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson.

“When the officers spoke to her, she appeared to be upset and admitted that she’d been drinking earlier that day.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests revealed that Donna Owen had 124 mcg of alcohol in her system. The legal threshold limit is 35.

Her solicitor, David James, said his client drinks up to two bottles of strong wine, each with an alcohol content of between 14% and 14.5%, on a daily basis. Mr James explained that her drinking stems from a series of abusive relationships as well as being prevented from seeing her young children by her former partner.

“This is causing her to drink every day, and in so many ways, my client has reached rock bottom,” he said. “She is crying out for support.”

Mr James’ mitigation was endorsed by probation officer Julie Norman who had been asked to comment on the case as a result of Donna Owen’s high alcohol reading.

Magistrates were told that Owen was disqualified from driving in 2016 for a previous drink-driving charge; as a result, her sentencing this week crossed the custody threshold.

“She seriously needs support with her alcohol and her emotional welfare issues,” said Ms Norman. “I’m confident that the probation service can assist her and there are some realistic prospects of her rehabilitation.”

Owen was sentenced to a 12 month community order during which she must carry out 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. These will include working with the Dyfed Drugs and Alcohol Service and any other agency identified by the probation service. She was disqualified from driving for three years.

She was fined £120 and must also pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.

Crime

Milford Haven man banned for three years after second drug-driving conviction

Published

1 day ago

February 11, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MOTORIST who claimed to have taken cannabis “several days” before being stopped by police was found to have over four times the prescribed legal limit of the drug in his system.

Antonio Rodrigues, 27, was pulled over by officers just before 3:00pm on September 13, 2024, while driving his Smart car along an unclassified road off the A40 in Slebech.

A roadside drugs wipe proved positive, and further blood tests at the police custody suite confirmed he had 9.8 mcg of cannabis in his system—well above the legal limit of 2 mcg.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard this week that this was Rodrigues’ second drug-driving offence in a ten-year period.

“He’d taken the cannabis some days before, and there was nothing wrong with his driving,” said his solicitor, Michael Kelleher, after Rodrigues, of Croeso, Steynton Road, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to the offence.

“He had no idea he was over the limit.”

Mr Kelleher added that Rodrigues self-medicates with cannabis and is in the process of applying for a legal cannabis prescription.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for 36 months and fined him £120. He was also ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £48 court surcharge.

Crime

Warrant issued for St Davids pensioner over cannabis possession

Published

1 day ago

February 11, 2025

Sarah Jane Absalom

A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a 71-year-old woman accused of possessing cannabis.

The Crown alleges that Barbara Lewis, of High Street, St Davids, was found in possession of 3.4 grams of herbal cannabis, a controlled Class B drug, during a police search on January 17.

Lewis was listed to appear before Haverfordwest magistrates on Tuesday (Feb 11). Following her failure to attend, magistrates issued a warrant for her arrest at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Crime

Drink driver handed suspended sentence and taken off the road

Published

2 days ago

February 11, 2025

Court Reporter

A BAGLAN man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to multiple driving offences, including driving while over the alcohol limit and while disqualified.

Nathan Lewis, 42, of Tyn Y Twr, Baglan, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Monday (Feb 10) and pleaded guilty to three charges: driving a motor vehicle while above the legal alcohol limit, using a vehicle without insurance, and driving while disqualified.

The court heard that on February 8, 2025, Lewis was stopped on the A40 in Llanddewi Velfrey, Narberth, while driving a Toyota Yaris with the registration SL59 YCA. A breath test revealed he had 83 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

Magistrates imposed a four-week custodial sentence for the drink-driving offence, suspended for 24 months, citing his history of two similar previous offences. He was also disqualified from driving for 54 months and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work within 12 months, along with a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

In addition, Lewis was found to have been driving without valid insurance and while disqualified. He received a further 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 24 months, bringing his total suspended sentence to 16 weeks. His driving record was endorsed, but no additional penalty was imposed for the insurance offence.

The magistrates stated that the offences were serious enough to warrant imprisonment but acknowledged a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. The case will be supervised by Swansea Magistrates’ Court.