A MOTORIST was in court this week for giving police officers false information concerning his identity before driving off at high speed through red traffic lights with a front seat passenger and two babies strapped in the rear of his vehicle.

Lewis Palmer, 22, was stopped by officers on March 3 as he drove his Seat Ateca along Pembroke Road, Pembroke Dock.

“In the back were two very young children,” Crown Prosecutor Nia James told Haverfordwest magistrates this week. “One was four months old and the other was 14 months. In the front was his partner.”

Magistrates were shown body-worn footage in which Palmer could be heard telling the officer on several occasions that his name was Jordan. Subsequent checks carried out by the officer revealed that the information he had given was false, but when Palmer was questioned about this, drove off at a high speed.

“By now the passenger had unbuckled herself and was tending to the two babies in the back,” said Nia James. “So when the defendant drove off, she was unstrapped

“The officer had to step away to avoid impact and the defendant screeched off at high speed. He drove towards the traffic lights on Ferry Lane, and other motor vehicles had to stop to avoid a collision.

“There was only one reason that he drove off, and that was to avoid the police.”

Ms James informed magistrates that Palmer had already been disqualified by a court sitting at Aberdeen in May of this year, after being convicted of dangerous driving.

This week Palmer pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, obstructing a police constable in the execution of her duty, driving on a public road without third party insurance and failing to stop when required to do so by an officer.

After considering the facts, magistrates requested a full probation report before sentencing. Palmer was released on unconditional bail and will reappear before magistrates on December 10.

An interim disqualification was imposed.

A PEMBROKE man has appeared before magistrates charged with raping a woman on New Year’s Day 2015.

Mark Jones, 31, is accused of raping the woman at an undisclosed location in Pembroke and of sexually assaulting another woman in Llangain on September 19, 2020.

Jones, of Lord Meadow View, Pembroke, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday but entered no pleas.

Due to the seriousness of the charges, magistrates declined jurisdiction, and Jones will now appear before Swansea Crown Court on December 20. He was released on unconditional bail.

A PEMBROKESHIRE man accused of intimidating a witness in a legal case involving him has been remanded in custody following a hearing at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

David Rees, 62, of St Dogmaels Road, St Dogmaels, is charged with intimidating a witness, contrary to Section 51(1) and (6) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

The alleged incident occurred on October 30, 2024, near Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court, where Rees was attending a hearing for allegations of possession of an offensive weapon and common assault.

The original charges against Rees stem from a dramatic incident in St Dogmaels on September 16, 2024, which prompted an armed police response. Rees is accused of assaulting a man at a local building plot and being in possession of a concealed weapon—a sword stick, a bladed weapon hidden inside a walking stick. The episode resulted in a significant police presence, including armed officers, canine units, and a helicopter, in the usually tranquil village.

At his initial court appearance on October 9, Rees did not enter a plea to these charges. The hearing was adjourned for clarification from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and Rees was granted conditional bail, with restrictions preventing him from visiting certain addresses or contacting named individuals.

Prosecutors now allege that on October 30, while on bail, Rees approached a key witness in his case, Tom Long, at Harbour House in Trefechan, near the court.

Rees is accused of telling Long to withdraw his complaint, an act intended to intimidate him and interfere with the course of justice, the CPS allege .

At Thursday’s hearing, prosecutor Eurgain Lloyd argued against granting bail, citing the defendant’s alleged actions while on conditional bail and the risk of further interference with witnesses. Defence solicitor Geraint Parry, of Geraint Jones and Co., contested the remand, but magistrates Mrs M Hambidge, Dr M Morel Du Boil, and Mr H Davey rejected the application.

The court determined that the seriousness of the charges and the potential risk to the administration of justice warranted remanding Rees in custody. The magistrates cited the alleged offending on bail as a key factor in their decision.

Rees will remain in custody until his next court appearance, scheduled for November 20, 2024, at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court. This mention hearing, estimated to last 10 minutes, will take place at the Aberystwyth Justice Centre. A trial on the intimidation charge is set for December 19, 2024, with an estimated duration of 20 minutes.

The charges and the nature of the allegations have drawn significant local attention. The earlier alleged incident in St Dogmaels left the community shaken, with a heavy police presence continuing into the evening to reassure residents.

The subsequent charges of witness intimidation further complicate the legal proceedings against Rees, as the court seeks to ensure the integrity of the justice process.

This case continues to develop, with key hearings scheduled in the coming weeks.