Crime

Drug-driver sentenced following three-car pileup on A40

Published

10 months ago

July 3, 2024

A MOTORIST responsible for a three-car Christmas pile-up on the A40 near Penblewin has appeared before magistrates after pleading guilty to drug-driving.

Police received a call on the night of December 19 that three vehicles had collided on the A40 between Penblewin and Whitland.

When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the collision which included a Ford Fiesta that was being driven by Marco Lewis, 31.

“It was obvious to the officers that he was intoxicated as his eyes were extremely glazed and he was unsteady on his feet,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“It was also apparent that he was unable to focus on what was being said to him.”

Lewis admitted to the officers that he had been driving the Fiesta at the time of the collision and had also been carrying a passenger. He claimed the vehicle was relatively new, resulting in him swerving across the road and colliding head-on with on-coming vehicles.

A roadside drugs wipe proved positive and Lewis was taken to the police custody suite for blood tests to be carried out for analyses. These confirmed he had been driving with 1,200 mcg of diazepam in his blood. The threshold limit is 550 mcg. A number of other illegal drugs were found in his blood, however these were all below the legal limit.

Lewis, of Victoria Close, Narberth, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving above the specified legal drug limit.

Magistrates requested a probation report prior to sentencing the defendant.

Probation officer Julie Norman informed magistrates that the incident occurred during a particularly difficult time for Lewis, following his sister’s death earlier in the year, aged 24.

“This was a trigger for his drug abuse,” she said. “After the offence, he took matters into his own hands and has received treatment from the drugs team and is now abstinent from all substances. He was discharged from their services in May, so this is a very positive step in the right direction.”

Lewis was placed on a 12-month community order during which he must carry out 15 rehabilitation requirement days. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 court surcharge. He was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Crime

Police appeal after woman seriously injured in Haverfordwest assault

Published

10 hours ago

April 17, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE in Haverfordwest are appealing for witnesses following a serious assault in the Castle Square area.

A woman was taken to hospital with what have been described as serious injuries after the incident, which occurred at around 11:00pm on Saturday, March 8.

A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He has been released on conditional bail while enquiries continue.

Officers are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, or who may have information that could assist the investigation, to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online at https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.

Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

Quote reference: 25000207374.

Crime

Serial offender due in court for knife and theft charges

Published

11 hours ago

April 17, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE man is due to be sentenced at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Apr 22) after admitting to a string of offences including possession of a knife, shoplifting, and criminal damage.

Rowan Clark, 24, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty last month to ten separate offences committed in Pembroke and Pembroke Dock between September 2024 and March this year.

One of the most serious charges relates to an incident on January 4, when Clark was found in possession of a large knife on King Street, Pembroke Dock. He had no lawful excuse for carrying the weapon.

Clark will also be sentenced for failing to surrender to bail at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on March 25.

Between February and March, Clark stole alcohol and groceries on multiple occasions from local shops including SPAR and Bush Hill Service Station. The thefts included:

Alcohol worth £27.20 on February 18
Groceries worth £21.57 on February 11
Alcohol worth £24.00 on March 8
Alcohol worth £27.20 again on February 18
Groceries worth £34.33 on February 11
Alcohol worth £27.20 on March 18

He also admitted tampering with a car in Pembroke on February 19, with intent to commit theft, and failing to attend a required drugs assessment after a positive test for cocaine.

On September 16 last year, Clark damaged windows valued at over £600 belonging to Pembrokeshire County Council.

He has denied a further charge of criminal damage, which alleges he caused £62 worth of damage to the offices of Greathead and Whitelock Solicitors in Pembroke on April 27, 2024. That matter remains unresolved.

Clark is currently on bail and is due to appear before magistrates for sentencing on Tuesday. The court previously ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Crime

Two men sentenced for vicious crimes against badgers.

Published

14 hours ago

April 17, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A JOINT investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team and the RSCPA sees two Ceredigion men prosecuted for their disturbing crimes against animals.

The two men were found to have shot a badger dead before dragging its lifeless body down a hill and throwing it into a nearby bog.

On the afternoon of Saturday 6 January 2024, the RSPCA was alerted to a concern about suspicious activity taking place on a grassy hillside in the Esgairdawe area of Carmarthenshire.

A member of the rural community, and key witness in the case, told the RSCPA how they had seen a group of individuals acting suspiciously around an active badger sett near to their home.

Taking a closer look using their camera (fitted with a telescopic lens), the witness observed the group digging into badger sett before seeing a man dragging a heavy animal down the hill and throwing it over a fence into a bog.

The witness also reported seeing another man carrying a terrier with blood on its legs in one arm, and a shotgun in the other.

The same day, RSCPA Inspector Keith Hogben attended to examine the site and was shown the photos taken by the witness. Inspector Hogben gathered evidence from the scene, including the dead body of a badger which was freshly wounded.

Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team was notified of the incident, and further examination of the deceased badger confirmed that the animal had been shot dead. This led officers to believe that the killing was in breach of the Badgers Act 1992, and a criminal investigation was launched.

Using the photographs taken by the initial witness, the two main suspects were identified, and plans were put into place to carry out simultaneous arrests during a day of action on Tuesday 9 April 2024.

During the pre-planned operation led by PC 610 Ashleigh Jones and the RSPCA, suspects Sion Davis and Gwynli Edwards were arrested at their homes on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs, interfering with badger setts and being in possession of a dead badger.

Further property searches found a total of nine firearms, including a shotgun believed to have been used in the illegal killing of the badger. The quadbike seen by the witness was also located at one of the properties, along with items related to terrier hunting, including dog radio collars, T-bars, nets, and shovels.

Davis’s firearms were seized, his license revoked, and the pair were released under investigation.

Following a thorough joint investigation, Sion Davis was later charged with interfering with a badger sett, using a firearm to kill a badger, and wilfully killing a badger. He pleaded guilty to all three charges at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday 27 March. Gwynli Edwards was also charged, and pleaded guilty to, interfering with a badger sett and possession of a dead badger when he appeared alongside Sion Davis at the court hearing in March.

On Wednesday 16 April 2025, both men were handed sixteen month suspended sentences, and Sion Davis was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid community work. In addition, the pair were ordered to pay costs totalling £4,960.

DS 405 Paul Roberts of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team said: “This result is a testament to the strength of partnership between Dyfed-Powys Police and the RSCPA. This case reinforces the message that we will do all we can under the all-Wales partnership for rural and wildlife crime, to protect vulnerable wildlife within our force are, and pursue those that intend to bring them harm.”

Echoing DS Roberts’s comments, PC 610 Ashleigh Jones of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Rural Crime Team said: “Today’s outcome shows that vicious and cruel behaviour against innocent and defenceless animals will simply not be tolerated. I want to commend the initial witness for their proactivity in contacting the RSCPA to report her concerns, which ultimately led to the two perpetrators facing justice for their crimes today.

“I’d also like to thank RSPCA Inspector Keith Hogben for the critical role he played in this investigation. His initial actions at the scene, and gathering of key evidence early on were instrumental in securing this prosecution.”