Crime

Wolfscastle sex offender sentenced for breaching court order

Published

10 months ago

September 2, 2025

A REGISTERED sex offender from Wolfscastle has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after deliberately breaching the terms of his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Admitted at Haverfordwest

The Herald previously reported how Luke Rogers, 39, admitted the breach when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on August 4. Magistrates committed the case to Crown Court for sentencing.

Rogers had been made the subject of a 10-year SHPO at Maidstone Crown Court in February 2021 when he was jailed for sexual activity with a teenage girl. One of the conditions of the order is that he must not delete messages, data or internet history from his devices.

Breach discovered in home visit

On June 30 this year, police carried out a routine home visit. During the inspection of Rogers’ phone, an officer saw that he had deleted a WhatsApp message to a woman.

When questioned, Rogers said it had been “a mistake.” However, prosecutor Dean Pulling told Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday (Sept 2) that deleting a WhatsApp message required several steps. “It’s a deliberate act,” he said.

The officer later spoke to the woman, who confirmed the deleted message was simply Rogers asking if she wanted to meet for coffee.

History of ignoring orders

The court heard Rogers has 37 previous convictions covering a range of offences, including seven for sexual matters and 10 for failing to comply with court orders.

In November 2023 he was jailed for 16 months after deleting Facebook and WhatsApp from his phone and keeping a secret second handset. The following month he received a 10-month jail term for further breaches, including deleting the MeetMe app and using false names in WhatsApp groups.

Defence submissions

Defence barrister Olivia Rose said Rogers accepted there were steps involved in deleting the message but insisted this was not an intentional breach. She described it as “minor” given that he had not hidden the phone from officers.

She told the court Rogers had made “real steps” towards rehabilitation since his release from custody and argued that his offending followed a familiar cycle of imprisonment, lack of support, and relapse.

Sentence

Recorder Aidan Eardley KC imposed a 12-month community order with 160 hours of unpaid work. He warned Rogers that any further breaches could see him back behind bars.

Rogers’ SHPO will remain in force until 2031.

Crime

Spittal man to stand trial accused of ABH

Published

16 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Court Reporter

A SPITTAL man is to stand trial accused of assaulting a man and causing actual bodily harm.

Robert Hedley, 41, of Wesley Way, Spittal, Haverfordwest, is charged with assaulting Liam Morley-Trivett at St Clears on August 30, 2025.

The case was before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Jun 18).

Hedley was granted unconditional bail and is due to stand trial at the same court on Monday, June 29.

The trial is listed for 10:00am and has been given a time estimate of twenty minutes.

Crime

Milford Haven woman spared jail despite string of shop thefts

Published

17 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Court Reporter

Repeat offender stole from Tesco, Home Bargains, Food Warehouse and petrol stations in wave of offences

A MILFORD HAVEN woman who admitted a series of shop thefts committed over a matter of weeks has been handed a suspended prison sentence by magistrates.

Marion Picton, aged 46, of Hawthorn Path, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Jun 18) and pleaded guilty to eight theft offences and a drugs-related offence.

The court heard that Picton carried out a string of thefts at stores across Milford Haven between April and June this year.

Among the offences, Picton admitted stealing meat from Food Warehouse on Apr 23, food worth £60 from Victoria Filling Station on May 29, groceries from Home Bargains on Jun 7 and Jun 8, food from Victoria Filling Station on Jun 7 and Jun 9, groceries and non-food items worth £51.09 from Tesco on Jun 16, and food worth £32.50 from Food Warehouse on the same day.

She also admitted failing to attend an initial drugs assessment after testing positive for Class A drugs, including cocaine and opiates.

Magistrates were told the offences represented persistent repeat offending and had been committed while Picton was already subject to a court order.

The bench imposed an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

As part of the order, Picton must complete up to 15 rehabilitation activity days under the supervision of the Probation Service.

The court ordered her to pay compensation to several of the businesses affected, including Tesco, Home Bargains, Food Warehouse and Victoria Filling Station.

In sentencing, magistrates said the offences were serious enough to justify immediate custody but suspended the sentence because there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and Picton appeared motivated to address her addiction issues.

Picton was warned that any further offending during the 18-month suspension period could see the prison sentence activated.