Crime

Man jailed after samurai sword brandished in Pembroke Dock street brawl

Published

5 months ago

January 13, 2026

15-month sentence after “ugly” disturbance left members of the public fearing for their safety

MICHEL VALMONT has been jailed for 15 months after brandishing a samurai sword during a violent disturbance in Pembroke Dock which left members of the public fearing for their safety.

Swansea Crown Court heard the incident unfolded on Pembroke Street on Saturday (June 15, 2024), prompting multiple calls to police from alarmed witnesses.

Prosecutor Craig Jones told the court officers were contacted as the street fight developed, with members of the public reporting several men involved in violence in the street.

The court heard that while two men were already engaged in a brawl, Valmont emerged from a nearby property dressed in black and carrying the sword. He was then seen chasing the men while wielding the weapon, heightening concern about what he intended to do.

Police arrived to find Stephen Charge and Trevor Herridge still fighting. They were separated and arrested at the scene.

A search of the area later uncovered a samurai sword and a black hooded top in a nearby garden. Valmont was subsequently identified and arrested.

Valmont, 48, of Water Street, Pembroke Dock, and Charge, 52, of Pembroke Street, Pembroke Dock, had both previously pleaded guilty to affray. Valmont also admitted possession of an offensive weapon.

The court heard Valmont has 74 previous convictions for 203 offences, including violence, weapons offences, dishonesty and public disorder. Charge’s record includes assault occasioning actual bodily harm, battery, criminal damage and dishonesty offences.

Defending Valmont, Jon Tarrant said his client had not been involved at the outset but made what he described as a “ridiculous and stupid” decision to intervene after realising a friend was caught up in the incident.

He told the court Valmont accepted a prison sentence was inevitable, adding that “walking around the centre of Pembroke Dock with a samurai sword is not going to result in any other outcome”.

The court was told Valmont had used heroin for around 30 years but was now testing clean.

Emily Bennett, representing Charge, said her client accepted his actions went beyond lawful self-defence and was extremely remorseful.

She told the court Charge began using drugs at 13 and later became addicted to heroin, but was now abstinent. He has four children, whom he sees regularly.

Passing sentence, Judge Paul Thomas KC described the incident as an “ugly brawl” and said the scenes were “more reminiscent of the Wild West of America in the 19th Century than West Wales in the 21st”.

While the cause of the disturbance was unclear, the judge said Valmont had escalated matters by introducing a “fearsome” weapon.

After receiving a one-quarter reduction for his guilty plea, Valmont was sentenced to 15 months in prison and will serve up to half the term in custody before being released on licence.

Charge received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a 20% reduction for his guilty plea. He was ordered to complete a rehabilitation requirement and fined £400 for breaching a suspended sentence.

The judge told him he had avoided immediate custody “by the skin of your teeth” and warned he was now “drinking in the last chance saloon”.

The court heard Herridge, 47, who had been charged with affray in connection with the incident, has since died.

(Pic: CPS Cymru)

Crime

Kebab firm fined £500,000 after ‘lamb’ found to be mostly skin and fat

Published

8 hours ago

June 8, 2026

Court Reporter

A KEBAB manufacturer has been fined £500,000 after a court heard products sold as lamb contained little actual lamb and were instead made up largely of skin, fat and other meats.

Kismet Kebabs Ltd, based in Chelmsford, Essex, was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after previously admitting fraud by false representation.

***The court heard invoices showed products that “cannot be called meat as per the legal definition” were being used to produce kebabs***

The company was also ordered to pay £259,298 in costs.

The case was brought following an investigation led by Swansea Council’s trading standards team, which found products supplied to takeaways and restaurants did not match the meat content declared on their labels.

***The judge said the firm had engaged in “considerable dishonesty”***

Prosecutor Lee Reynolds told the court the firm had misled wholesalers, retailers and customers over a prolonged period.

He said products described as lamb contained a mixture of fat, skin, goat, mutton, mechanically reclaimed meat and other lower-grade products.

In one example, a lamb doner labelled as containing 87% lamb was found to contain only 51% meat and 40% fat.

The investigation began after trading standards officers carried out sampling at kebab houses and restaurants in late 2020 and early 2021.

**The company purchased a “large volume of fat” to put in its products**

Further testing at wholesalers found major differences between what was stated on labels and what the products actually contained.

Officers later visited Kismet’s factory in Chelmsford, where concerns were raised about production, packaging and labelling.

The court heard invoices showed the firm was buying very little lamb, but large quantities of skin, fat, goat and other products.

***Invoices showed products that “cannot be called meat as per the legal definition” were being used***

Kismet’s barrister, Stuart Jessop, said the firm had operated successfully for many years and had since made significant changes. He said the company had “taken its eye off the ball” at the time of the offending, but argued that forcing it out of business would benefit nobody.

Judge Huw Rees said fraudulent activity had been “endemic” at the company and described the dishonesty as considerable and prolonged.

The company has been given four years to pay the fine and costs.

Crime

Carmarthenshire man jailed for having lock knife

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2026

Court Reporter

Court told offence was committed during suspended sentence period

A CARMARTHENSHIRE man has been jailed after admitting possessing a lock knife in a public place.

David Jones, aged 61, of Cwmcatty, Porthyrhyd, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Friday (Jun 5).

He admitted that on June 4, at Llanelli, he had a lock knife with him in a public place without good reason or lawful authority.

Jones was jailed for four months.

The court record stated the offence was so serious that only custody could be justified, and that it was committed during the operational period of a suspended sentence.

The court also ordered that the lock knife be forfeited and deprived from him.

A second charge, alleging threatening or abusive behaviour towards PCSO Nicholl of Dyfed-Powys Police, was withdrawn.

Crime

Milford Haven man admits harassment and assault

Published

2 days ago

June 6, 2026

Court Reporter

Case adjourned for pre-sentence report at Haverfordwest court

A MILFORD HAVEN man has admitted harassment and assault charges.

Wayne Whatling, aged 40, of Howarth Close, Milford Haven, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Friday (Jun 5).

The court heard that between September 1 and September 13, 2025, at Milford Haven, Whatling pursued a course of conduct which amounted to harassment of Carol Whatling.

The charge stated that he regularly asked her for money and that she was in fear of repercussions if she did not provide it.

Whatling also admitted assaulting Ben Whatling by beating him at Milford Haven on September 13, 2025.

Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report.

He was remanded on conditional bail and must return to Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, June 11.