News

Solider ‘a whisker away’ from jail term

Published

11 years ago

January 5, 2015

MAGISTRATES removed a number of bail conditions, including an electronic tag, attached to a Haverfordwest man at Court on Wednesday (Dec 17). Joshua Simmons, aged 24 of Dew Street, pleaded guilty on a basis to a charge of ABH, theft of a mobile phone and possession of less than a gram of cannabis.

A fourth charge of breaching a nonmolestation order was dropped after it was revealed that the complainant initiated the breach by going to his house and then having sexual relations with him on that evening. The Magistrates indicated that they were looking at giving a community order and a report will now be prepared by the probation service.

At a previous hearing, five bail conditions were imposed on Simmons. These were a curfew from 9pm-7am – for which he was also given an electronic tag – not to contact the complainant, not to enter Milford Haven, that he should report to the police station every day and that he should live and sleep at his address.

The chairman of the bench removed those conditions. The two new conditions he was given were he should not contact the complainant and that he should cooperate with the probation service. Prosecuting, Peter Lloyd said: “The basis is not acceptable to the crown. The lady says she went to his address in Dew Street and accepts that she shouldn’t have gone there. “Whilst in the house, he looked at her mobile phone and saw messages from other lads on it.

This resulted in the assault and he grabbed her hair and pushed her to the floor. He went out but come back soon after and pulled her by the hair, dragging her along the floor. The CPS say that she was stamped on the face by the defendant, while he says that the injury was caused by him kneeing her to the eye. He does accept that he caused the injury. He grabbed her by her hair again and wouldn’t let her out. He has eventually pushed her out of the flat”.

Defending, Mike Kelleher said: “There are differences in the accounts of what happened. On this night she had alcohol. We say she was drunk and had gained access to his flat and they slept together. My client has become worried because he knew about the nonmolestation order and that she might be able to make a complaint.

“He told her to get out of the flat and the assault occurred. He fell on top of her and kneed her to the side of the face. It took some more persuasion for the lady to leave and it is a shame that it has ended up like this. “He accepts he caused the injury and that he perhaps was a little rough in getting her out, but he apologises for all of this.” The Magistrates indicated that they would be sentencing on the basis given by the defence and ordered for a report. The matter will come back to court on January 14, 2015 and Simmons was

Crime

Eleven-year jail term for rape after judge finds victim ‘particularly vulnerable’

Published

2 minutes ago

February 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A MAN from Newport has been jailed for eleven years after being convicted of raping a woman who was asleep and physically vulnerable.

Yogesh Parmar, aged 35, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Monday (Feb 23) following a trial in which jurors heard harrowing details of the abuse suffered by the victim.

Sentencing, Her Honour Judge Catherine Richards said the complainant had been “particularly vulnerable” at the time of the attack because of her small physical stature and the fact she was asleep when the rape occurred.

The court heard Parmar placed heavy gym weights against the bedroom door to prevent the woman from leaving the room.

In her personal statement, the victim said that when she told Parmar his behaviour was harming her, he responded by telling her to “get used to it”.

It was also heard that he dismissed her distress by describing her as “hormonal” when she reacted to his pattern of abuse. The victim told the court she regarded Parmar as “a predator”.

In mitigation, defence counsel argued the complainant had “woken to him effectively having intercourse”.

Alongside the eleven-year custodial sentence for rape, Parmar was handed a 20-year restraining order. He also received a two-year concurrent sentence on a separate count of controlling and coercive behaviour.

Judge Richards told the defendant the offences represented a grave breach of trust and had caused lasting harm to the victim.

Parmar will serve his sentence in custody before being subject to restrictions upon release.

Local Government

Pensioner fined for playing loud music despite repeated warnings

Published

34 minutes ago

February 23, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEYLAND pensioner who continued to play loud music despite numerous warnings has been fined after being convicted of breaching a Community Protection Notice.

Complaints had been made about Beryl John, of Gothic Road, with neighbours reporting persistent noise nuisance. Pembrokeshire County Council officers gathered evidence using the NoiseApp system, which demonstrated that the noise was causing a detriment to nearby residents. This led to a Community Protection Warning (CPW) being issued.

However, the behaviour continued. The council said John also behaved abusively towards council officers and Dyfed-Powys Police, resulting in the warning being escalated to a formal Community Protection Notice (CPN).

Despite the notice, John failed to comply, and the council brought proceedings before the court.

John did not attend Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Feb 5) and was convicted in her absence.

Magistrates imposed a £1,000 fine, along with a £400 victim surcharge and £1,000 prosecution costs.

The court heard that if the anti-social behaviour continues, the council may return to court to seek a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), breaches of which can result in community penalties or even imprisonment.

Cllr Jacob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, said: “The council works with partners such as Dyfed-Powys Police and housing associations to tackle anti-social behaviour like this, which so greatly affects the quality of residents’ lives.

“As with all cases of this nature, it is a shame that things had to come before the court, but the defendant had many opportunities to avoid matters escalating simply by improving their conduct, and hopefully that will now happen.”

Crime

Merlins Bridge man denies six child sex assault charges

Published

1 hour ago

February 23, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Trial date set for July following Crown Court appearance

A MERLINS BRIDGE man has denied six charges of sexually assaulting children following a hearing at Swansea Crown Court.

Dion Lewtas, aged 29, of St Marks Close, appeared before the court on Monday (Feb 23), where he pleaded not guilty to six offences of sexual assault of girls aged under thirteen.

The charges relate to alleged incidents in Milford Haven between August 2021 and August 2023.

The girls were aged between nine and eleven years old, the prosecution alleges.

Lewtas had previously appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on January 20, when the case was sent to Swansea Crown Court.

He was released on bail. A trial date has been set for July 17.