A 19-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has been found guilty of raping two 16-year-old girls in separate incidents that occurred in Milford Haven and Haverfordwest.

Nathan John, of Richard John Road in Milford Haven, was convicted on Friday (Oct 18) at Swansea Crown Court following a trial in which he faced seven sexual offence charges.

The jury deliberated for approximately three hours and 40 minutes before reaching their verdict.

John was found guilty of six out of the seven charges, including:

• Three counts of rape
• One count of sexual assault by penetration
• One count of sexual assault
• One count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent

He was acquitted of one charge of sexual assault by penetration relating to the second victim.

The first assault took place in the early hours of 2 October 2022, after John had been out drinking in Milford Haven the night before. The second incident occurred on 16 May 2023 in Haverfordwest.

During the trial, the court heard emotional testimony from the victims and their families.

The stepfather of the Milford Haven victim described receiving a distressing photograph of his stepdaughter at a local pub, followed by her return home in a distraught state, claiming she had been raped.

The Haverfordwest victim testified that John had become violent during their encounter, grabbing her by the throat and threatening her with a knife before the assault.

Police officers testified about John’s aggressive behaviour during his arrest near Haverfordwest train station. Body camera footage showed the defendant making threats and attempting to headbutt an officer.

Sentencing is expected to take place in the coming days.

(Image: Artist’s impression of court proceedings)

A SERIES of cases heard at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Oct 17) has highlighted the ongoing efforts to combat littering in the region, resulting in fines for several individuals who failed to keep Pembrokeshire’s streets clean.

John Arrowsmith, 38, of Montrose Avenue, Datchet, Slough, was convicted in his absence for depositing a rolled-up cigarette in Milford Haven on 5th April 2024. The court imposed a fine of £220, alongside an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, bringing the total to £574.66.

David Baker, 57, of Charles Street, Neyland, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to dropping a cigarette butt on London Road, Pembroke Dock, on 8th March 2024. Acknowledging his guilty plea, the court fined him £40, with an additional £16 victim surcharge and £132 in costs, totalling £188.

Gavin Merryfield, 37, of Greenacres, South Cornelly, Bridgend, failed to attend court and was found guilty in his absence for littering with a cigarette butt on Sydney Rees Way, Haverfordwest, on 4th April 2024. He was fined £220, with an £88 surcharge for victim services and £266.66 in costs, amounting to £574.66.

Nikki Mitchell, 47, of Waterloo House, Tenby, also faced court in her absence for dropping a cigarette butt on St George’s Street, Tenby, on 10th April 2024. She was ordered to pay £220, with an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, bringing the total to £574.66.

Phil Price, 51, of Ryan Close, Swansea, was found guilty of littering with a cigarette butt on Pier Road, Pembroke Dock, on 8th March 2024. The court fined him £220 and imposed an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, totalling £574.66.

Rhys Thompson, 19, of Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, faced similar charges after he was caught littering with a cigarette butt on Water Street, Pembroke Dock, on 22nd April 2024. Convicted in his absence, he was fined £220, alongside an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, making a total of £574.66.

Martin Willis, 57, of Tharsis Close, Cardiff, was convicted in his absence for leaving a rolled-up cigarette on High Street, Tenby, on 25th March 2024. His penalties included a £220 fine, £88 victim surcharge, and £266.66 in costs, totalling £574.66.

Stephen Richardson, 45, of Prendergast, Haverfordwest, admitted to littering with a rolled-up cigarette at Morrison’s, Haverfordwest, on 1st February 2024. The court took his guilty plea into account and imposed a fine of £123, with a £49 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, bringing the total to £438.66.

Chris Arther, of West End Farm, Haverfordwest, did not attend court but was found guilty of depositing a rolled-up cigarette outside the Co-op on Carmarthen Road, Kilgetty, on 3rd April 2024. He was fined £220, with an £88 victim surcharge and £266.66 in costs, totalling £574.66.

Sean Baker, 36, of Dew Street, Haverfordwest, was also found guilty in his absence for dropping a cigarette butt on the A477 in Tenby on 23rd April 2024. He faced a £220 fine, an £88 victim surcharge, and £266.66 in costs, amounting to £574.66.

All cases were prosecuted under Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, reflecting Pembrokeshire County Council’s commitment to keeping the county clean. The fines serve as a reminder of the financial implications for those who choose to litter, with most facing total penalties in excess of £500.

THE FAMILY of Lynette White has criticised the decision to release Jeffrey Gafoor from prison after the Parole Board deemed him a “manageable risk to the community.”

A family member, who wished to remain anonymous, shared their disappointment: “Having been informed of the Parole Board’s decision to release Jeffrey Gafoor, I am deeply disheartened. Despite having mentally prepared for this outcome, given that it was his sixth application, I am profoundly disappointed by the apparent lack of attention to certain previously undisclosed factors. Jeffrey Gafoor’s diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder raises concerns about whether all relevant aspects were thoroughly evaluated in the decision-making process.

“Had the hearing been open to the public, there would have been greater transparency. I feel let down by the process, the broader system, and utterly betrayed by a justice system that appears to prioritise the offender over the rights of victims and the public’s rightful expectation of justice.

“Jeffrey Gafoor has served 21 years for murder – 17 years in a secure prison, and four years in open conditions. Yet, for 36 years, I and other victims of his heinous crime have endured immense suffering in countless ways, and now we are forced to confront the grim reality that he will soon walk free.”

On Valentine’s Day, 1988, Lynette White, aged 20, was brutally murdered in her flat on James Street, Butetown, Cardiff. She suffered over 50 stab wounds in a frenzied attack, which pathologist Bernard Knight described as having “mutilating” features​

The subsequent police investigation would become infamous as one of the UK’s worst miscarriages of justice. Relying on dubious eyewitness accounts, police arrested five men, later known as the “Cardiff Five,” in December 1988. Three of them—Tony Paris, Yusef Abdullahi, and Stephen Miller—were convicted in 1990 after a trial marred by coerced confessions and lack of physical evidence. They were later exonerated in 1992 following appeals and public outcry​

In 2003, advancements in forensic technology led to a breakthrough. DNA evidence from the crime scene, which matched a relative’s profile, led investigators to Jeffrey Gafoor. He was arrested and subsequently confessed to the murder, revealing a violent altercation over a £30 payment​

​Gafoor was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 13 years, after admitting to stabbing White over 50 times​

The Parole Board’s recent decision to release Gafoor after his sixth review has stirred fresh distress among Lynette White’s family and those wrongfully convicted. They now face the challenge of coming to terms with the Parole Board’s ruling and its implications for the community.