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Crime

Judge criticises reluctance to jail offenders after Haverfordwest hammer attack

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A CROWN COURT judge has hit out at the judicial service’s reluctance to send criminals to custody despite their regular offending when sentencing a Haverfordwest man accused of attacking his victim with a lump hammer.

Addressing Joshua Lee, 21, when he appeared for sentencing at Swansea Crown Court on Monday for a revenge attack against a man he accused of raping his best friend’s sister, Judge Geraint Walters condemned the system for handing out persistent Community Orders instead of custodial sentences.

“Pussyfooting around with sentencing is a mistake in many cases,” he said.

“What’s the point of a fine or a Community Order, when on and on it goes?

“This is a man who needs help, but sometimes that means a more serious sentence.”

Lee, 21, had pleaded guilty to attacking his victim with a lump hammer in Salutation Square, Haverfordwest on the afternoon of Sunday, August 25.

Counsel for the Crown, John Hartson, KC, said the attack took place soon after 4pm.

“The victim was walking through the town centre when he was assaulted by the defendant and punched to the back of his head,” he said. 

“[The victim] turned around and recognised the defendant but he was then punched to the head numerous times.  There were 20 hits to his head and he was also hit twice to his face.  The defendant then produced a lump hammer and used it to hit the victim to his right temple.  He felt immediate pain.”

The defendant ran off but was later traced by police officers to an address in Fleming Crescent, Haverfordwest.

“He came out with his arms in front of him, saying, ‘So [the victim] raped my best friend’s sister.  Now I’ve dealt with it.”

Meanwhile defence counsel David Johns, KC, said Lee’s life in the run-up to the revenge attack had been exceptionally difficult.

“He had a very difficult upbringing and was put into the care system when he was two years old where he was physically abused,” he said.

“This is a young man with mental health problems, who’s extremely immature, and it’s exacerbated by the fact that he’s had little or no moral guidance.

“Maybe if he’d had some sort of proper support before now, things would have been different.”

Mr John’s comments were endorsed by Judge Geraint Walters.

“The defendant was brought up in the most depressing way, and that is not his fault,” said Judge Walters.

“No two-year-old can be blamed for being taken into care and no two-year-old can be blamed for being abused  so yes, you are the product of your upbringing.

“The courts, over the years, have given you one Community Order after another and they’ve achieved absolutely nothing.  Someone should have taken the bull by the horns before now.

“You’re now getting some structured intervention in the prison which you were not getting in the community.  I’d like to think that this is the last time that you’ll  end up in court.”

Joshua Lee pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and to possessing an offensive weapon, namely a lump hammer, in a public place.

He was sentenced to 15 months in prison.  Half of this sentence will be served in custody with the remaining time being served on post-sentence supervision.

A five-year restraining order was imposed, preventing him from having any form of direct and indirect contact with the victim and a forfeiture and destruction order was made for the lump hammer.

 

Crime

Teenager banned from roads after being caught six times over drug-drive limit

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A DOCK teenager has lost his licence after driving his vehicle on the Cleddau Bridge when he was six times over the legal drug-drive limit.

Gethin Moseley, 19, was stopped by officers carrying out random traffic checks on the bridge on January 24.  Smelling cannabis emanating from his Mazda, a roadside drugs swipe was carried out which proved positive  Subsequent blood tests showed that Moseley had 14 mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system, the legal limit being 2.

Moseley, of Milton Terrace, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to drug-driving when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates this week.  He was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill who informed the Bench that the defendant only uses cannabis recreationally or socially.  He has no previous convictions.

Moseley was fined £249 and ordered to pay a £100 court surcharge and £85 costs.  He was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

 

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Crime

Drunk motorist arrested at Pembrokeshire petrol station

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A Johnston motorist has appeared before magistrates after being caught driving when he was almost twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Police received a call at around 11am on April 23 from a member of the public concerned that local resident Martin Phelps, 55, was driving after consuming alcohol.

“He was at the petrol station and the member of the public was concerned that he was drunk,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“When they arrived, they could see he  was unsteady on his feet and had trouble getting into his parked vehicle.”

 When spoken to by the officers, Phelps admitted drinking alcohol earlier that morning.  Subsequent breathalyser tests carried out at the police station, showed that Phelps had 68 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Phelps, of Langford Road, Johnston,  pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He’s had a troublesome relationship with alcohol which has increased over the years,” she told the court.

“He’s engaged with the Dyfed Drugs and Alcohol Advisory Service and Alcoholics Anonymous  over the years, and this incident has been a wake up call for him.”

Phelps was disqualified from driving for 17 months and fined £120.  He must also pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.  He was disqualified form driving for 17 months.

 

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Crime

Violent man jailed after ‘Banksy’ claims and campaign of domestic abuse

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A PEMBROKESHIRE woman told a court she wished her former partner had killed her after enduring a campaign of violence and coercive control by a man who claimed to be Banksy.

Patrick Smyth, 49, of Oaks Avenue, Romford, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday to 22 months in custody after admitting coercive and controlling behaviour and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Smyth met the woman while on holiday in Tunisia in 2024 and later travelled from Essex to visit her in Haverfordwest.

Thomas Scapens KC, prosecuting, said Smyth quickly began mentally and physically abusing her. He checked her phone, isolated her from friends and family, and installed a phone tracking app which he controlled under the username “Powerful 666”.

He also claimed he was Banksy, the world-famous street artist, telling the victim he was powerful, wealthy and well connected.

“He copied Banksy’s signature and presented it to her, and she believed everything he told her,” Mr Scapens said.

The court heard that Smyth’s abuse escalated during a trip to Cardiff in July 2025, when the couple attended a concert. Smyth lost his temper and had to be removed by security.

Later, at the Coal Exchange hotel, he locked the victim in a room and placed a chair under the door handle to stop her leaving.

“He beat her continuously,” said Mr Scapens. “He put his hand around her throat to prevent her breathing.”

Hotel staff heard him calling her a “slag” and later saw reddening to her neck. They moved the woman to another room for her safety, but Smyth repeatedly tried to force his way inside, banging on the door and shouting.

Staff contacted the woman’s son, who worked in Cardiff. When he arrived, he became emotional after seeing her condition.

In September 2025, Smyth threw the woman into a wardrobe, fracturing two of her ribs. The following month, despite being on bail with a condition not to contact her, he turned up at her home.

“He pushed past her, tied her to a chair in the kitchen and turned off the lights,” said Mr Scapens.

The court heard Smyth refused to let her use the toilet and told her men were coming from London to put her in a pre-dug grave.

The final incident happened in October after the couple visited Morrisons in Haverfordwest. Smyth became aggressive in the store and threw shopping items at the victim. Concerned staff asked a security guard to shadow them.

During the taxi journey home, Smyth threatened to break the woman’s legs and punch her. When the taxi driver intervened, Smyth threatened to break his legs too.

Later that evening, a 999 call was made. No one spoke, but officers could hear a woman screaming and a man’s voice in the background.

When police arrived, they found the victim with cuts to her head. She was extremely upset and tried to hide her face in her roll-neck jumper.

When asked what had happened, she said: “I would in a heartbeat, but I can’t.” The court heard this was because Smyth was listening outside.

In a victim impact statement read to Judge Catherine Richards, the woman said her life had been “fundamentally scarred”.

“I hid my injuries away from other family members because I was scared,” she said.

“I’m scared to go out in case Patrick is there. I don’t treat life the same way anymore and I don’t leave the house by myself.

“It got to the point where I wish Patrick had killed me because I’d prefer to be dead. I’ll never be the same again.”

Smyth appeared by video link from prison, where he had been remanded since his arrest.

His barrister said he “wishes no bad will on the victim” and had reflected on his behaviour.

“He wishes to apologise,” she said. “He has no intention of making any further form of contact with her. Custody has acted as a wake-up call.”

Sentencing Smyth to 22 months in custody, Judge Richards said half would be served in prison and the remainder on licence.

 

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