Blood tests showed level nearly five times the legal threshold

A MOTORIST who admitted taking cocaine to try to ease ongoing leg pain has been banned from driving after being caught over the drug-drive limit in Pembrokeshire.

Richard Smith, aged 41, was stopped by police on the night of October 6 while driving his Skoda Enyaq along Pope Hill in Johnston.

Officers carried out a roadside drugs test which proved positive. Smith was arrested and taken to the police station, where blood analysis later revealed 236 micrograms of benzoylecgonine – a cocaine metabolite – in his system. The legal limit is 50.

Smith pleaded guilty to drug-driving when he appeared before magistrates at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

Defence solicitor Fenn Richards said her client had travelled to Milford Haven to support a family member.

“His nephew had been having a hard time with depression, so he came down to spend some time with him,” she said.

“But the defendant had recently suffered a car accident and had run out of painkillers while he was in the area. He turned to cocaine to help relieve his pain.”

The court heard Smith had taken the drug around five days before driving and had not realised it could remain detectable in his system for that length of time.

Magistrates disqualified Smith, of Walnut Way, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, from driving for 14 months.

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.

Victims tell court they feel anxious and unsafe as defendant admits offences

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been sentenced after tapping on his neighbour’s window with a knife before later breaching a court order by contacting a woman he was banned from approaching.

Magistrates sitting at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that shortly after 7:00pm on January 14, Adam Evans heard his neighbour, Sam Wilkins, knocking on the window of his Bethel Road home with a knife.

Prosecutor Nia James said the incident caused immediate alarm.

“This made Adam Evans feel extremely worried,” she told the court.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Evans described the strain the situation has placed on him and his family.

“The defendant is so unpredictable and his behaviour makes me feel very defensive,” he said.
“I feel I need to protect my family at any given moment.”

The court heard that later the same evening Wilkins breached an existing two-year community order, imposed in April 2025, which prohibited him from contacting a particular woman.

“He contacted her by calling her mobile on two separate occasions,” said Ms James. “He told her he was experiencing a particularly stressful time and said he was deeply sorry that he had failed his family.”

In her own statement, the woman said the unwanted contact had severely affected her wellbeing.

“The breach has made me feel awful, miserable and sad,” she said. “I want to move on from my past, but it gets harder and harder.

“Sam needs help, but he still poses a threat to me and I’m very worried about what he might do. I’m on tenterhooks, worrying about what he may do next, and it’s ruining my peace of mind.”

Wilkins, aged 43, of Bethel Road, Pembroke Dock, pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour likely to cause alarm or distress and to breaching his community order.

After considering a probation report, magistrates imposed an 18-month community order. He must complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days to address substance misuse and comply with a 120-day alcohol abstinence requirement.

Wilkins was also ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.

Court hears of late-night calls, messages and 999 whisper for help

A WOMAN has told a court her life was “turned upside down” by a campaign of harassment from her former partner which left her too frightened to feel safe in her own home.

In a victim impact statement read to magistrates at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, she said almost every aspect of her daily life had been affected.

“Almost every aspect of my life has been disrupted,” she said.

“His actions have left me feeling constantly unsafe and vulnerable, particularly late at night, and my home is no longer the safe haven it should be.

“Making that 999 call left me feeling ashamed, even though I knew it was the right action in the circumstances.”

The court heard that during the emergency call on May 15, the woman could be heard whispering to the operator because her ex-partner, Gary Thomas, was outside her home in Freystrop.

Prosecutor Nia James said: “Just before 10:30pm Gary Thomas knocked on her door and the female saw a shadow looking in through the window.

“She can be heard speaking quietly because he was outside banging on the door. She felt scared that he could hear her making that call to the police.”

The harassment began on May 8, the day after the couple’s relationship, described to the court as “toxic”, came to an end.

Thomas repeatedly contacted her by phone and text. On one evening alone, between 10:00pm and 11:30pm, she received 22 missed calls. On May 15 he messaged to say he was coming to collect his belongings, knocked on the door at 10:18pm and continued sending messages for around 20 minutes.

Despite being asked to stop, he continued to contact her via text and WhatsApp, including messages saying: “I always love you and think about you” and “Can you come and speak to me please?”

“The female has had to make considerable changes to her lifestyle,” said Ms James. “Initially she felt so unsafe she went to stay with her family and has now had to take increased security precautions. But even with these steps, she continues to experience heightened anxiety.

“He showed no consideration or thought towards her, and this has added to her emotional strain.”

Thomas, aged 40, of Foley Way, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to harassment without violence.

Defence solicitor Tom Lloyd said the incidents were limited and that his client was remorseful.

“He turned up at the address on a very limited number of occasions and the offences don’t include a particularly high volume of phone calls,” he said.

“There was no threat of violence, no intimidation, and this isn’t something that was sustained. He’s expressed genuine remorse. He’s never been before the courts and this was a completely isolated incident.”

Magistrates fined Thomas £2,700 and ordered him to pay a £1,180 surcharge and £85 costs, bringing the total to £3,865.

A restraining order was also imposed, banning him from contacting the victim, visiting her address or entering any data relating to her on any electronic device.