Stackpole case heard at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court

A 51-YEAR-OLD man accused of controlling and coercive behaviour towards a former partner has been remanded in custody following his first appearance before magistrates.

Mark Hanson, aged 51, of no fixed abode but linked to Llangunnor Road, Llangunnor, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Friday (Mar 13).

Hanson faces a charge of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, contrary to Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015.

Prosecutors allege that between January 1, 2024 and March 12, 2026, at Stackpole, Hanson repeatedly engaged in behaviour which was controlling or coercive towards a woman with whom he had been in a relationship.

The court heard the alleged conduct included threats of violence and behaviour said to have had a serious effect on the complainant.

Hanson entered a plea of not guilty to the charge during the hearing.

Magistrates were told that the alleged behaviour spanned more than two years.

A second charge of breaching a domestic abuse protection order was also before the court. It was alleged that on Tuesday (Mar 11) Hanson attended the protected person’s home address at Stackpole despite being subject to an order imposed by Llanelli Magistrates’ Court the previous day.

However, the prosecution withdrew that allegation after it emerged police had incorrectly entered the details relating to the alleged breach.

Magistrates Mrs E Byrne and Mr S McKenzie ordered that Hanson be remanded in custody.

The case will return to Llanelli Magistrates’ Court for its next hearing at a later date.

Party accuses rivals of “all words, no actions” as battle over renters and council tax intensifies ahead of Senedd election

A POLITICAL row has broken out ahead of the next Welsh Parliament election after Welsh Labour launched a twin attack on the Greens and Reform UK over housing policy and council tax.

The party issued a strongly worded response following comments by Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski (pictured) during a recent interview on BBC Politics Wales discussing renters’ rights and housing shortages.

Welsh Labour accused the Greens of saying they support tenants while opposing legislation aimed at increasing house building.

A Welsh Labour spokesperson said: “The Greens say they want to back renters. Then why did they block the bill in parliament that will deliver more houses?

“All words, no actions – that’s what you get from the Greens.”

Labour pointed to the vote by Green MPs against the UK government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which ministers argue would help speed up the delivery of new housing.

The spokesperson added: “At a time when families across Wales are struggling to find somewhere affordable to live, blocking legislation designed to build more homes simply doesn’t make sense.”

The criticism also referenced proposals by a Green-controlled council in Bristol to consider selling council houses in order to fund housing services.

The exchange highlights growing political competition between Labour and the Green Party of England and Wales as housing increasingly dominates the political agenda.

Across Wales, shortages of affordable homes, rising rents and pressure from second homes have pushed housing towards the top of voters’ concerns.

Welsh Labour also used the opportunity to criticise the growing influence of Reform UK, which has been campaigning heavily on council tax and cost-of-living issues.

Responding to comments from James Evans discussing Reform’s stance on council tax, the spokesperson said the party had failed to deliver tax cuts where it holds power.

“Reform has no leg to stand on when it comes to talking about council tax rates,” the spokesperson said.

“They promised tax cuts in the English councils they run and haven’t delivered – in fact just over the border in Worcester council tax has gone up by nine per cent.”

Political observers say the exchange reflects a wider shift taking place in Welsh politics as the next Senedd election approaches.

With the expansion of the Welsh Parliament and the introduction of a new proportional voting system, smaller parties are expected to find it easier to gain representation.

That has encouraged parties such as the Greens and Reform to push harder into territory traditionally dominated by Labour.

For many voters, however, the debate ultimately centres on familiar concerns: the rising cost of living, the availability of housing, and the level of council tax bills.

With the election campaign beginning to take shape, those issues are likely to dominate the political battleground in Wales in the months ahead.

Lise Davidsen leads star cast in Wagner’s epic tale of love and death in special cinema broadcast on Sunday (Mar 22)

AFTER years of anticipation, a truly unmissable event arrives in cinemas worldwide as the electrifying Lise Davidsen takes on one of the ultimate roles for dramatic soprano – the Irish princess Isolde – in Wagner’s transcendent meditation on love and death, Tristan und Isolde.

Heroic tenor Michael Spyres stars opposite Davidsen as the love-struck Tristan in what promises to be a powerful and emotionally charged performance.

The production also marks the arrival of a new staging at the Metropolitan Opera by Yuval Sharon, making his Met debut. Sharon has been hailed by The New York Times as “the most visionary opera director of his generation” and was the first American to direct an opera at the famous Wagner festival in Bayreuth.

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin also leads Tristan und Isolde at the Met for the first time in this landmark production.

The cast includes mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova reprising her acclaimed portrayal of Brangäne, alongside bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny as Kurwenal following his celebrated Met appearances in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländerand the Ring cycle. Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green makes an important role debut as King Marke.

Reviewing the production for The Observer, Fiona Maddocks described it as a “glorious production” and “well worth catching”, adding: “This was one of those rare and blissful nights when dropped jaws silenced noisy opinion in the queue for coats afterwards.”

The recorded broadcast of Tristan und Isolde will be screened at the Torch Theatre on Sunday (Mar 22) at 4:00pm.

For further information visit www.torchtheatre.co.uk or contact the Box Office on (01646) 695267.

ENDS