Crime

Man jailed for historic child sex offences in Milford Haven

Published

10 months ago

March 28, 2025

A MILFORD HAVEN man who raped a young girl and abused two children in the 1980s has been jailed for 16 years.

Gary Hicks, now 64 and living in Luton, was convicted at Swansea Crown Court of a series of serious sexual offences carried out between 1987 and 1989. The abuse took place when he was aged between 27 and 29 and targeted two victims, both under the age of eleven at the time.

Hicks denied all the charges but was found guilty following two separate trials.

In August last year, he was convicted of five offences: two counts of indecency with a child and three of indecent assault. He was acquitted of one count of rape and one of indecent assault, while a second rape charge saw no verdict returned.

That charge was brought back before the court in a retrial in February, during which the jury delivered a unanimous guilty verdict.

The Herald understands that Hicks carried out a range of degrading and abusive acts. These included forcing the girl to masturbate him and subjecting her to digital and vaginal rape. He also made the male victim place his penis in Hicks’ mouth and urinate.

The court was told Hicks threatened the girl to prevent her from speaking out. He told her no one would believe her, adding she would lose all her friends if she ever told anyone what had happened.

“These words had their intended effect,” said Judge Huw Rees during sentencing.

The abuse remained undisclosed for more than three decades. It was only in the early hours of October 13, 2022, that the female victim contacted police and disclosed what had happened. The male victim later came forward with his own allegations.

Hicks was interviewed on March 6, 2023, and continued to deny any wrongdoing.

The court heard that he had four previous convictions covering seven offences—only one of which dated from before the abuse. He had no history of sexual offending.

Defence counsel Mark Kelly KC said Hicks had not committed similar offences since and urged the court to consider the impact of imprisonment on his elderly mother, aged 92, and his long-term partner, aged 70.

Judge Rees sentenced Hicks to 16 years in custody, with a further year on licence. He must serve two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and both victims were granted indefinite restraining orders for their protection.

Brave survivors: Both victims gave evidence in court decades after the abuse (Pic: Herald).

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

3 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 court surcharge.

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.

Crime

Drink-driver narrowly avoided collision in town centre

Published

4 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Motorist almost three times over legal limit

A DRINK-driver narrowly avoided crashing into another vehicle while almost three times over the legal alcohol limit, a court has heard.

Nathan Lloyd, 33, was seen driving a Nissan X-Trail in Haverfordwest in the early hours of December 20 without headlights.

Police followed the vehicle, which narrowly missed a car and struck a kerb before being stopped.

Lloyd, of Adams Drive, Narberth, recorded a breath reading of 97 micrograms of alcohol, nearly three times the legal limit.

He was disqualified from driving for two years and given a 12-month community order requiring 80 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days. He was ordered to pay £114 surcharge and £85 costs.