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Crime

Tenby businessman jailed for sustained and merciless attack on ex-partner

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A BUSINESSMAN from Tenby has been jailed for a brutal assault on his former partner. Oliver Torkington, 39, who manages call centres, was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and strangulation in relation to the attack that took place at an address in St Clears on March 23. Torkington had denied the charges but was convicted following a trial at Swansea Crown Court.

The court heard that Torkington attacked his girlfriend out of “paranoid jealousy” after seeing her speaking to a doorman during a night out. His jealousy was further fuelled by the fact that his partner had seen another man during a break in their relationship.

Summing up the evidence presented at trial, Judge Paul Thomas KC described the incident as “a brutal, sustained and merciless attack.” Addressing Torkington, the judge said, “She was very drunk and defenceless in your flat. You strangled her, punched her, and stamped on her head. You also thrashed her savagely and repeatedly with a thin piece of metal.”

The victim suffered a broken finger and continues to suffer from ringing in her ear, a lasting impact from the attack. The court also heard that Torkington had confiscated his partner’s phone during the assault, preventing her from calling for help.

Prosecutor Jon Tarrant revealed that Torkington, who was living on Pembroke Road in Haverfordwest at the time, has a significant criminal record. He has 16 previous convictions for 24 offences, including 12 offences involving violence.

In mitigation, Harriet Ealden, representing Torkington, described the attack as “impulsive and spontaneous,” emphasising that there was no premeditation involved. “All of these matters appear to be linked with drinking and perhaps illicit substances,” Ms Ealden stated. “Since this incident, he has taken steps to address that. He informs me he is six months clean and sober. It has certainly woken him up.”

Ms Ealden also noted that Torkington had completed a drug rehabilitation course while on remand and highlighted that his previous convictions for violence were not related to domestic incidents. She added that at the time of the assault, Torkington was “in a poor place” and faced losing his house, car, and job.

However, Judge Thomas was unswayed by the mitigation, branding Torkington “a coward as well as a bully.” He went on to say, “The simple fact is that you do not have the guts to admit what you have done. I wonder how you would feel if any man treated your daughter how you treated your partner in this case.”

Torkington was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for the assault, with an additional 20-month concurrent sentence for strangulation. In addition, a five-year restraining order was granted to his ex-partner, prohibiting him from contacting her.

Crime

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

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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.

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Crime

Warrant issued for St Davids pensioner over cannabis possession

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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.

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Crime

Drink driver handed suspended sentence and taken off the road

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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.

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