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Crime

Suspended jail sentence for obsessed stalker

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A MAN who sent a woman 80 Facebook messages over 14 days, before contacting her friends and family to try and find out where she lived has been handed a suspended sentence.

Jamie Norman, of Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to stalking a woman after a four-week long campaign of messaging her, her former partner, and friends.

The 39-year-old’s actions culminated in him knocking every door on an estate in a physical search for the victim, after he made his own report to police that her friends were ‘keeping her away’ from him.

Dyfed-Powys Police officer DC Gmerek explained that on May 28 the suspect was swiftly arrested due to the severity and concerning nature of his offending.

“This was quite an unusual investigation as the offender himself contacted police when he claimed the victim’s friends were preventing her from being in contact with him,” she said.

“This was followed by a second call later the same day, in which he said he had further information about the victim’s address, and that he was going to knock doors in the area until he found her.

“This was clearly concerning behaviour, however at that point we were not aware of the extent of his behaviour towards the victim.”

Force control room call handlers received a report of a man calling at houses in an estate in Haverfordwest during the early hours of May 28, just hours after the suspect had himself contacted police.

CCTV footage showed it was Norman.

As enquiries continued, it was established that along with sending 80 messages to the victim – the majority of which were sent over one day – he had contacted her friends to ask if he should ‘pursue’ her, and even told her mother he wanted to marry her.

“There was a large amount of evidence to consider, given the number of messages sent both to the victim and others,” DC Gmerek said.

“The evidence showed a high degree of obsession, including sexual elements and implicit threat, as well as the FOUR behaviours of stalking: Fixated, obsessed, unwanted and repeated.

“A charge for stalking involving serious alarm or distress was authorised.”

Norman admitted the offence and appeared in court on June 18th, where he was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He must carry out 250 hours of unpaid work, and complete a rehabilitation activity requirement.

DC Gmerek said: “Stalking and harassment can cause serious distress to victims, leaving them looking over their shoulder and questioning their safety.

“Norman’s victim expressed feelings of anxiety and fear, and felt compelled to change parts of her lifestyle as a result of his behaviour.

“It is a very brave step to take in reporting stalking behaviour to police, and I would like to commend the victim in this case for reaching out for support.”

Eliminating domestic abuse, stalking and harassment is one of Dyfed-Powys Police’s priorities, and officers are committed to supporting victims who come forward to report crimes.

If you need support for domestic abuse, stalking or harassment, please visit https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/advice/

Crime

Pembroke Dock resident faces court over dog control breaches

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PHILIP Murray, 52, of 11 Picton Place, Pembroke Dock, will appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Nov 14) to face several charges of breaching a community protection notice. The notice, issued under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, required Murray to control his dogs in response to repeated disturbances.

The charges relate to incidents from May to September 2024, when Murray allegedly failed to comply with the restrictions set out in a notice issued on January 3, 2024. Court documents state that despite multiple warnings, Murray continued to disregard the order, leading to ongoing issues linked to his dogs’ behaviour.

If found guilty, Murray could face a Level 4 fine for each offence. The hearing is scheduled to take place from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in Courtroom 1, presided over by the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Adult Panel.

The case underscores the role of community protection notices in addressing persistent anti-social behavior.

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Crime

Cilgerran driver banned for drug use on Cardigan high street

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A CILGERRAN motorist appeared before a district judge after driving on Cardigan High Street under the influence of cannabis.

On May 3, police officers on patrol detected a strong smell of cannabis from a Volkswagen Golf driven by Kim Haynes, 40.

A drugs wipe returned a positive result, with subsequent tests showing Haynes had 3.4 mcg of Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol in her blood, above the legal limit of 2.

Haynes, of Sun Cottage, Church Street, Cilgerran, pleaded guilty to driving over the specified drug-drive limit. She was fined and ordered to pay a total of £365, including costs and a court surcharge, and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

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Crime

Motorist disqualified after cannabis-fuelled traffic collision

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A 21-YEAR-OLD driver has been disqualified after a traffic pile-up on the A40 following cannabis use.

Officers attended Arnold’s Hill, Slebech, on March 29 in response to a multi-vehicle collision involving Kayleigh Taylor, 21, whose Toyota Aygo was on the opposite carriageway.

“There was a smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle, so a drugs wipe was conducted, which returned a positive result,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan. Further tests showed Taylor had 7.7 mcg of Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol in her blood, above the legal limit of 2.

Taylor, of Princess Royal Way, Haverfordwest, admitted to driving over the specified drug-drive limit and possessing 266.1 grams of cannabis found in her vehicle.

District Judge Mark Layton sentenced her to a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. She was disqualified from driving for 17 months, fined £80, and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.

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