News
Pembrokeshire man uses new first aid skills days after completing training
A PEMBROKESHIRE man is sharing his experience to emphasise the importance of first aid skills, having been able to assist at a road accident just days after completing a St John Ambulance Cymru training course.
Kieran Warlow, 31, had recently finished a three-day First Aid at Work course at St John Ambulance Cymru’s Swansea Training Centre. While working at the Sunbelt Rental Depot in Milford Haven, he heard a heavy impact from the road outside. Rushing to investigate, Kieran found that two vehicles had been involved in a collision.
Thanks to his recent training, Kieran was able to step in with confidence. After ensuring another first-aider was assisting one of the drivers, he directed his attention to the second driver, performing a primary survey as he’d been taught.
“I noticed he was showing signs of shock, seemed confused and dazed. I got him to sit down and followed my training to take down some notes,” Kieran explained. “He was shivering, so I found him a blanket and noted details about what had happened and any medication he’d taken, like paracetamol.”
When paramedics arrived, Kieran handed over his notes, surprising the attending paramedic with his organized approach. “The paramedic asked me where I’d learned to take handover notes like this, and I told him it was from the First Aid at Work course that I’d completed just the week before,” Kieran added.
Kieran praised the course and his instructor, saying, “Jon was phenomenal. He was so thorough and engaging. I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot. The course was delivered with a group of people who were all keen, and it was done so well.”
He hopes his story might encourage others to gain life-saving skills, adding, “It was really nice to feel like I may have actually made a positive impact.”
For more information on first aid training and to explore the courses available, visit St John Ambulance Cymru’s website at www.sjacymru.org.uk/training.
News
Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home
A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.
Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).
In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.
PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”
This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
News
Milford Haven man caught with indecent images of children spared jail
A MILFORD HAVEN man, Gareth MacDonald, 23, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to downloading over 1,000 indecent images of children.
MacDonald, of Meyler Crescent, was arrested in March 2023 following a police search of his home. Acting on intelligence, officers seized multiple electronic devices, and MacDonald admitted to downloading the illegal images.
Swansea Crown Court heard that MacDonald accessed material spanning all severity categories, including images depicting the rape of pre-teen children.
He reportedly told police he had “become bored with legal pornography” roughly a year prior to his arrest.
Judge Geraint Walters sentenced MacDonald to eight months in prison, suspended for two years. As part of the sentence, MacDonald must:
- Complete 20 rehabilitation activity days
- Participate in the Horizon programme
- Register as a sex offender for 10 years
- Comply with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order
Judge Walters remarked that MacDonald had been accessing illegal content “for some considerable period of time” despite knowing it was wrong.
However, MacDonald, who has health problems, dodged being sent to jail and was able to leave the court a free man.
Crime
Ceredigion man sentenced for selling £150,000 in illegal DVDs
A CEREDIGION man has been sentenced for selling counterfeit DVDs worth £150,000 under major brand names without authorization.
David Robert Thomas, 47, from Sarnau, ran a sophisticated online operation, producing and selling fake DVDs labeled with brands like Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Sony, and Universal City Studios LLC. Thomas used seven different websites and managed multiple bank and PayPal accounts, including those of family members, to carry out his business.
Councillor Matthew Vaux, Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said: “Counterfeiting is often thought of as a victimless crime, but it harms the local economy by undermining legitimate businesses that pay taxes and create real jobs. This result sends a clear message that counterfeit sales will not be tolerated, and we will act against offenders.”
Thomas pleaded guilty at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Nov 11) and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. His sentence includes a four-month curfew and fifteen Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
Under the Crime Act 2002, forfeiture proceedings will follow to reclaim the financial benefits from Thomas’s criminal activities. Judge Richards took into account the market value of equivalent genuine goods, the sophisticated setup of Thomas’s business, and his previously clean record in reaching the sentencing decision.
The case was brought forward successfully by Ceredigion County Council’s Trading Standards Service.
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