Crime

Pedlar jailed for selling knives in Pembrokeshire

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2024

A PEDLAR has been jailed for six months after admitting selling knives and scissors door-to-door in the Saundersfoot area.

Lewis Hill, 32, was seen approaching a property near Pentlepoir on July 4.

“He was seen going around houses selling kitchen utensils,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told district judge Mark Layton who was sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday.

“Police received a call about the defendant, who was claiming to be a salesman. But when one of the residents refused to buy off him, the defendant called him a f****** c***.”

Three more calls were made to the police by other nearby residents. Each reported that the door-do-door pedlar had been behaving in an aggressive and abusive way whenever people refused to buy items from his black holdall.

“He got very aggressive and threatened to knock somebody’s head off,” added Ms Jackson.

When officers subsequently arrested the defendant, they searched his holdall and discovered three pairs of scissors and a kitchen knife.

Ms Jackson said that in January 2023, Hill was sentenced to a Community Order after being convicted of selling items door-to-door in the Thornbury area without an appropriate pedlar’s certificate.

“He sold a packet of cloths to an elderly lady who was vulnerable,” continued Ms Jackson. “But he then became abusive, calling her names such as a slut and a c***.

“He said, ‘If you call the police, this will be the biggest mistake you’ll ever make in your life. You’ll be a dead woman walking.’ Hill then spat into the woman’s face and onto her clothing.”

Hill, who pleaded guilty to four charges of possessing a bladed article in a public place and of peddling without a pedlar’s certificate, has four previous convictions for peddling without a certificate.

This week he was represented in court by solicitor Mr Adam Scott.

“He was going from door-to-door selling the items, but they were not, in any way, to cause fear,” he said.

“He’s done this since the age of 18, where he’s being paid to go from door-to-door selling wares.”

Hill, who currently resides in Middlesbrough, was sentenced to 26 weeks in custody. He must pay a £154 court surcharge and £85 costs upon his release.

Crime

Haverfordwest sex offender jailed over child abuse material

Published

5 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Court Reporter

Registered offender used library computers to hide social media accounts

A HAVERFORDWEST sex offender who used public library computers to exchange child abuse material and discuss the sexual abuse of minors has been jailed for 20 months.

Euwyn Draper, aged 22, of Hill Street, Haverfordwest, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after admitting four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder Greg Bull KC told him the courts had “bent over backwards” to assist him in the past, but said those efforts had failed.

He told Draper: “I’m not going to lecture you because I would be wasting my breath. You knew you had to comply with the order.”

Secret accounts

The court heard that Draper had been made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order in 2024 after earlier convictions for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

The order banned him from holding social media accounts in any name other than his own and required him to disclose relationships or friendships to police when asked.

Despite this, Draper secretly maintained accounts on a number of platforms, including X, formerly Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and BlueSky. The BlueSky account had been registered under a false name.

His use of Snapchat was specifically prohibited because of the platform’s auto-delete function.

Library computers

Prosecutor Megan Williams said Draper’s latest offending came to light on May 5 this year during a routine meeting with his offender manager at Haverfordwest police station.

When asked about his internet use, Draper claimed he only went to the library to watch YouTube and listen to Spotify. He denied having any social media accounts or communicating with anyone online.

But as questioning continued, he became “flustered” and admitted he had been chatting to a male online and had an X account which had not been disclosed to police.

Officers attended the library with Draper the following day to examine his digital activity.

After he logged in using his library ID and opened his Google account, police reviewed his X profile and found sexually explicit conversations between Draper and another male in which the pair discussed sexual activity involving children aged five and above.

The court heard that explicit photographs had also been exchanged.

Police also discovered that Draper had reinstalled Instagram after previously deleting the account in front of officers.

Previous offending

Draper has three previous convictions for 14 offences.

In April 2024 he was given a suspended prison sentence and made subject to the sexual harm prevention order for possessing and distributing child sex abuse images.

Within months, he breached the order by maintaining an undisclosed social media account. In September 2024 he was jailed for 16 months for possession of further indecent images.

When interviewed about the latest breaches, Draper answered “no comment” to all questions.

‘Immature young man’

Alex Scott, defending, described Draper as an “immature young man” who lived an isolated life in rented accommodation and acted “impulsively” in relation to social media.

He said Draper had co-operated with police by accompanying officers to the library and recognised the need to address the underlying causes of his behaviour.

Jailed

Draper had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

After giving him a one-third discount for his early guilty pleas, Recorder Bull sentenced him to 20 months in prison.

Draper will serve up to half of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community.

Crime

Castlemorris man spared jail after knife confrontation over council tax debt

Published

7 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A CASTLEMORRIS man has avoided immediate custody after threatening enforcement officers with a knife during an early-morning visit over unpaid council tax.

Simon Coll, 59, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after admitting affray and two charges of criminal damage following the incident on February 26 last year.

The court heard that three enforcement officers had gone to Coll’s home at around 6:30am to execute a liability order.

They clamped his van before approaching the property, but were confronted by Coll, who came to the door armed with a large knife.

Officers forced to retreat

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said Coll shouted “Do you want some?” before swinging the blade towards one of the officers.

A second officer was then approached by Coll, causing all three men to retreat to their vehicles.

The court was told one of the officers had previously attempted to recover the debt, but had been chased away after Coll became aggressive.

After the officers returned to their vans, Coll threw what was believed to be a rock or log at one of the vehicles, cracking the windscreen. He also kicked the rear of another van.

Police were called and Dyfed-Powys Police officers arrived at the address within an hour.

Coll later told police he had woken to find three men near his home and claimed he had not realised they were enforcement officers until after they had left and he discovered the clamp on his van.

Damage to vehicles

The court heard the windscreen damage cost £372, while damage to the wheel clamp was valued at £15.

The enforcement officers were said to have been left badly shaken by the incident.

Defending, Andrew Evans said Coll accepted that his behaviour had been unlawful.

Recorder Mark Powell KC told Coll: “Your behaviour that day was disgraceful.

“These are men going about their public duty.

“You behaved in a very aggressive way towards them.

“One of them had a close shave with the large knife you were carrying.”

Coll was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He must also pay £290 compensation and complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Crime

Boy, 13, arrested after child seriously injured in rugby club fire

Published

2 days ago

May 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

11-year-old rescued from burning container at Trimsaran RFC

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and arson after a fire at a Carmarthenshire rugby club left an 11-year-old boy seriously injured.

The blaze happened at Trimsaran RFC on Saturday afternoon, when a storage container used to keep equipment at the club’s ground was allegedly set alight deliberately.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the younger boy became trapped inside the burning container and had to be rescued by club members.