Crime

Cilgerran coracle fisherman fined after catching protected salmon

Published

7 months ago

May 6, 2025

Case reignites debate over tradition, conservation and the future of Welsh river fishing

A TRADITIONAL fisherman from Cilgerran has admitted to illegally catching and selling a protected Atlantic salmon from the River Teifi — one of Wales’ most ecologically sensitive waterways.

Mark Dellar, 51, of High Street, appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to handling fish in suspicious circumstances, contrary to Section 32 of the Salmon Act 1986. The offence stemmed from his failure to correctly identify and release the salmon, a protected species whose numbers have plummeted in recent years.

The incident came to light after a July 2024 Facebook post from the Pentre Arms pub in Llangrannog advertised a 16lb “locally caught sewin” — the Welsh name for sea trout — as a featured dish on its menu. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) enforcement officers, concerned that the fish was in fact a salmon, began investigating.

The Pentre Arms’ owner and chef fully cooperated, providing the fish cutlets, a receipt showing they had paid £135 for the fish, and a commercial carcass tag which traced the catch back to Dellar. The fish had been legally tagged — suggesting Dellar believed it to be a permitted catch — but subsequent analysis by NRW confirmed it was a salmon, not a sea trout.

Caught between law and tradition

Dellar, who has fished the Teifi for more than 20 years using a coracle — a centuries-old boat unique to west Wales — said in a voluntary police interview that he had believed the fish was a sewin when he landed it on July 5.

Magistrates imposed an absolute discharge but ordered Dellar to pay £85 in costs. While the sentence was lenient, the case has reignited a broader debate around the clash between traditional fishing practices and modern environmental protections.

Coracle fishing has been practised in Wales for generations, with fishermen using lightweight, round-bottomed boats woven from willow and covered with tar or canvas. The Teifi, along with the Tywi and Taf rivers, has long been home to this unique heritage — but fishers say the tradition is on the brink of extinction.

In 1975, there were over 50 licensed coracle netsmen on the Teifi. Today, just a handful remain. The season has been drastically reduced, now running only from May to July, and strict byelaws introduced in 2020 require all salmon — whether caught by rod or net — to be released immediately and unharmed. The sale or retention of salmon is banned altogether, a measure aimed at saving the species from collapse.

Conservation in conflict

Jeremy Goddard, who leads NRW’s enforcement team in mid Wales, said the case highlighted the importance of respecting conservation rules, regardless of fishing experience.

“The killing and sale of a prime adult salmon shows clear disregard for the law and for the health of our rivers,” he said. “Mr Dellar, with his years of experience, would know how to tell a salmon from a sea trout. With salmon numbers in serious decline, all netsmen and anglers are expected to release every salmon they catch. It’s not just a legal requirement — it’s a crucial step to protect the species. Every spawning fish matters.”

Further analysis showed the salmon had spent two years in the Teifi as a juvenile before migrating to sea, where it spent another two years feeding before returning to its native river to spawn — a journey that underscores the ecological significance of every individual fish.

Heritage under pressure

While NRW says its enforcement actions are necessary to protect the future of wild salmon, coracle fishers argue that their ancient craft is being regulated out of existence. Many say they are being punished for mistakes while industrial pollution and large-scale farming runoff continue to degrade river habitats with little consequence.

“This is our heritage — not just a job, but our way of life,” one local netsman told The Herald. “We’ve followed the rules, bought the tags, shortened the season, but now even a simple mistake can lead to court. Meanwhile, slurry pours into the river and nobody is held accountable.”

Indeed, the Teifi has suffered from repeated pollution incidents in recent years, with sewage overflows and agricultural discharge blamed for reducing oxygen levels and harming aquatic life.

The river is designated a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive due to its internationally important salmon population. Yet recent monitoring data from NRW shows that wild salmon numbers remain critically low, with fewer than 1,000 returning to the Teifi in some years — down from tens of thousands in the 1980s.

Is NRW focusing on the wrong target?

While NRW has emphasised the need for strict compliance from netsmen and anglers, critics argue that such prosecutions miss the bigger picture — and that the real threats to Welsh rivers come from far larger sources than a handful of coracle fishers.

Farming runoff, sewage discharges, deforestation and bank erosion have all been cited by environmental groups as leading contributors to the sharp decline in water quality across Wales. Data from NRW and third-party groups like River Action and Surfers Against Sewage show regular breaches of water safety limits, with phosphates, nitrates and slurry regularly entering protected river systems like the Teifi.

Despite this, enforcement against major polluters remains rare. According to NRW’s own reports, only a small fraction of reported incidents result in prosecution — and fines, when issued, are often minimal.

“What’s happening is a kind of environmental scapegoating,” one local conservationist told The Herald. “You’ve got ancient fishing practices with deep cultural roots being criminalised, while industrial agriculture and water companies carry on polluting with virtual impunity.”

This sense of injustice is echoed in local fishing communities. While coracle fishers have drastically cut back their activity, embraced tagging schemes, and complied with shortened seasons, they say NRW is failing to hold powerful polluters to the same standard.

A question of balance

NRW insists that its approach balances conservation with cultural heritage. Goddard said the agency would continue to inspect restaurants, fishmongers, and coastal buyers as part of its “Buyer Beware” campaign, aimed at preventing illegal salmon sales and educating businesses on the byelaws.

But for many in west Wales, Dellar’s case is a sign of a deeper unease — that a way of life is slipping away under the weight of bureaucracy and ecological crisis.

“Once the coracle netsmen are gone,” said another local, “they’ll be gone for good. And we’ll have lost something you can’t bring back — not just a fish, but a tradition.”

Crime

Pembroke rape investigation dropped – one suspect now facing deportation

Published

17 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Tom Sinclair

DYFED-POWYS POLICE have closed an investigation into an alleged rape and false imprisonment in Pembroke after deciding to take no further action. One of the two men originally arrested is now in immigration detention and faces deportation.

The incident took place on Main Street over the weekend of 8–9 November 2025. Police were called at 9:45am on Sunday 9 November after reports of a woman in distress. She was taken to hospital for treatment.

Two men – aged 36 and 27 – were arrested at the scene on suspicion of rape and false imprisonment. They were subsequently released on bail while enquiries continued.

On Tuesday (2 December 2025), the force announced the criminal investigation has concluded and no charges will be brought. A police spokesperson said the decision took full account of the victim’s wishes.

Outcome for the two suspects:

The 36-year-old man has been transferred to the custody of the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team and is now detained pending deportation.
The 27-year-old man has been released with no further police action.

A Dyfed-Powys Police statement read: “This investigation was not terrorism-related, and we have no knowledge of any linked incident in Monkton. All rumours suggesting otherwise are incorrect.”

The force has also dismissed separate community speculation that the men entered the UK illegally on fraudulent passports or were due in court this week on terrorism charges.

Detectives stressed that every report of rape or serious sexual assault is treated seriously and victims are supported throughout. Anyone affected has been directed to specialist services, details of which are available on the force website.

No further police updates are expected.

Crime

Defendant denies using Sudocrem-covered finger to assault two-month-old baby

Published

1 day ago

December 2, 2025

Tom Sinclair

In dramatic day-long cross-examination, Christopher Phillips repeatedly denies sexual penetration, as prosecution alleges escalating anal attacks ended in catastrophic injury

CHRISTOPHER PHILLIPS, 28, spent almost six hours in the witness box today. During the entire afternoon he underwent a sustained and highly graphic cross-examination by prosecuting counsel Caroline Rees KC.

The defendant is accused of cruelty and multiple sexual assaults on his then-girlfriend’s two-month-old son between December 2020 and January 2021, culminating in life-threatening anal injuries discovered when the child was rushed to hospital on 24 January 2021. The baby’s mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is jointly charged with causing or allowing serious physical harm.

Both defendants plead not guilty.

Ms Rees KC opened the day by telling Phillips that the prosecution case was that he had developed a sexual interest in penetrating the baby anally and had used his finger, coated with Sudocrem, to do so on a number of occasions before finally causing the “catastrophic” tearing injury seen in the medical photographs.

***Artist’s impression of Christopher Phillips giving evidence at Swansea Crown Court***

Sudocrem and the mechanics of nappy changing

The prosecutor took Phillips step-by-step through his own description of how he applied Sudocrem: Ms Rees: “You would put a blob of Sudocrem on one finger, then use another finger to smear it around the nappy area?” Phillips: “Yes.” Ms Rees: “So your finger was covered in Sudocrem?” Phillips: “Yes.” Ms Rees: “And you accept you sometimes changed the baby completely alone?” Phillips: “Yes, occasionally.” Ms Rees: “You are extremely experienced with anal sex. You know that the first thing you do is use a lubricated finger to relax and open the sphincter before anything larger is introduced?” Phillips: “With consenting adults, yes.” Ms Rees: “Precisely. And that is exactly what you did to this baby with your Sudocrem-covered finger on more than one occasion, wasn’t it?” Phillips: “No. Never. Absolutely not.”

The alleged progression of assaults

Ms Rees put it to Phillips that the bright red blood he first noticed in the nappy around 12 January 2021, the further bleeding he photographed and sent to the mother on the night of 23 January, and the eventual massive tear and prolapse discovered hours later formed a clear escalation. “You were testing the water,” Ms Rees said. “First a little bleeding, then a bit more, and finally you went too far and caused the terrible injury the jury have seen.” Phillips repeatedly insisted the blood was caused by constipation and a haemorrhoid he had personally identified.

The baby’s rattle

Returning to the incident in which Phillips pressed the baby’s rattle against his own anus as a joke, Ms Rees said: “You have a highly trained eye for objects that can be used anally, don’t you, Mr Phillips? Within a split second you saw that rattle and thought ‘sex toy’.” Phillips replied: “It was a stupid, throw-away moment of jocularity. I didn’t insert it.”

Deletion of material from his phone

Within 48–72 hours of the baby being admitted to hospital in a life-threatening condition, Phillips wiped large quantities of sexual photographs, videos and internet search history from his device. Ms Rees: “You realised the game was up and you frantically deleted anything that showed your sexual interests, didn’t you?” Phillips: “I deleted adult material involving [the mother] because I was embarrassed. There was never anything involving the baby to delete.”

The final night – 23/24 January 2021

Cell-site records show Phillips arrived at the flat around 18:30 and did not leave until 02:57. He accepts he changed the baby’s nappy three times that night, including once around 22:17 when he photographed fresh blood and sent it to the mother who was in the next room. Ms Rees put it to him that shortly before he left he carried out the most serious assault, causing the full-thickness tear and prolapse, then “calmly walked out knowing the child was catastrophically injured”. Phillips answered: “When I left he was quiet and settled in [the mother’s] arms.”

Closing accusation

At the end of the afternoon, Caroline Rees KC rose and addressed the defendant directly: “Mr Phillips, over a period of weeks you sexually assaulted this two-month-old baby with your finger on multiple occasions. On the final night you penetrated [Baby C] so violently that you caused the devastating injuries shown in the photographs the jury have seen. That is the truth, isn’t it?” Phillips turned to face the jury and replied firmly and clearly: “No. I did not. I have never touched that baby sexually or harmed [the baby] in any way whatsoever.”

Caroline Rees KC indicated she still has further questions. Cross-examination will resume tomorrow morning before His Honour Judge Paul Thomas KC.

Crime

Probation claims ‘not fair’, says solicitor as defendant jailed for hammer offence

Published

2 days ago

December 2, 2025

Sarah Jane Absalom

Defence challenges report accusing Milford man of refusing to comply with community order

CLAIMS by the probation service that a defendant had refused to comply with community order requirements were strongly refuted by a defence solicitor when the case came before Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Representing Josh Skipper, solicitor Tom Lloyd criticised what he described as a catalogue of inaccuracies in a probation report that recommended an immediate custodial sentence.

The report alleged that Skipper had:

REFUSED to comply with his community order;
was UNMOTIVATED to seek employment;
had no ACTIVE SKILLS or activity preferences; and
was not EASY to engage with.

But Mr Lloyd told the court these assertions were “simply not fair”.

“The report isn’t helpful in setting out the defendant’s background,” he said. “It’s just not fair.”

He told magistrates that Skipper had made repeated attempts to secure work in recent weeks, but had been unsuccessful. He added that the report criticised Skipper for having no skills or activities but offered no constructive recommendations such as unpaid work.

“It says he isn’t an easy person to engage with, but this is someone who was brought up in care from the age of 13 or 14,” Mr Lloyd said.

Skipper, 24, of Chestnut Way, Milford Haven, was before the court for sentence after pleading guilty to possessing an offensive weapon — a hammer — in a public place, namely Victoria Road, Milford Haven, on November 9.

Mr Lloyd accepted the offence crossed the custody threshold but urged magistrates to impose a suspended sentence.

“He understands it isn’t up to him to pick and choose what requirements they want of him,” he said. “But rather than be given a custodial sentence, his sentence should be suspended.”

Magistrates rejected the request, citing Skipper’s repeated offending and his lack of compliance with previous community orders.

Skipper was sentenced to 26 weeks in custody and ordered to pay a £154 surcharge and £85 costs. A forfeiture and destruction order was made for the hammer.