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.

A MAN from Haverfordwest has been convicted of raping his sister when she was under the age of 16.

The offences took place between 31 July and 7 August 1988 at Castle Lake Car Park in the town, when the defendant was in his 20’s.

Following a trial at Swansea Crown Court, the man was found guilty on two counts: rape of a female under 16 and indecent assault on a girl under 16, both contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 1956.

The jury returned the verdicts after hearing evidence over several days, including the complainant’s account of the incident which happened nearly 38 years ago.

The case was reported to police in December 2023.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons to protect the identity of the complainant, will be sentenced at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, 23 March 2026.

This conviction highlights that reports of historic sexual offences continue to be thoroughly investigated and brought before the courts, no matter how much time has passed.

After the case the complainant said: “The day that I thought would never happen happened, something that I have carried with me for nearly 40 years has finally been heard.

“I seriously; can not explain how I feel right now, but a very heavy weight has finally been lifted.”

Anyone who has been affected by sexual abuse can contact the police on 101 or seek support through specialist services such as Rape Crisis or Victim Support.

Row intensifies over waiting times, A&E pressures and hospital service changes

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have brought forward a Senedd debate this week calling for a national health emergency to be declared, as concerns grow over waiting times and pressure on NHS services in Wales.

Latest figures show around 580,000 patient pathways are currently waiting for treatment — equivalent to almost one in four people in Wales. More than 5,200 pathways have been waiting over two years to start treatment, compared with 223 in England.

Data also indicates a rise in the number of patients waiting more than twelve hours in emergency departments, alongside worsening ambulance response times for the most serious “Red” calls.

The motion, due to be debated on Wednesday (Feb 25), argues that NHS performance in Wales remains among the worst in the UK for waiting times and access to treatment, and calls for urgent system-wide action to restore performance and public confidence.

Proposals include reopening closed community hospital wards to improve patient flow, increasing bed capacity, expanding surgical hubs and diagnostic services, improving GP access, and establishing a dedicated NHS Wales recovery team.

The Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Secretary, Peter Fox MS said: “Labour’s health strategy is failing in real time — waiting lists are growing, emergency care is deteriorating, and patients are paying the price.

“After 27 years of Labour running the Welsh NHS, excuses are no longer good enough. The Welsh Conservatives have a clear plan to restore performance, cut waiting times and deliver the timely care people across Wales deserve.”

The Conservatives are also calling for the Welsh Government to end the use of corridor care and designate twelve-hour waits in emergency departments as “never events”.

The debate comes amid fresh controversy in west Wales following a decision by Hywel Dda University Health Board to remove emergency general surgery from Withybush Hospital as part of wider service changes. The move has prompted strong political reaction and renewed concerns about travel times and access to care for rural communities, although the Health Board says the changes are intended to improve safety and sustainability.

The Welsh Government has previously said NHS Wales is facing significant pressures following the pandemic, including workforce shortages and rising demand linked to an ageing population. Ministers say record levels of funding are being invested in health services and that reducing the longest waits remains a priority, although they acknowledge performance is not yet where they want it to be.

Health is expected to remain one of the central political battlegrounds ahead of the next Senedd election, with opposition parties increasingly critical of performance while ministers point to wider pressures affecting health systems across the UK.

The debate is expected to begin at around 4:30pm on Wednesday.