Firearms officers, dog units and roadblocks deployed on Gordon Street as Dyfed-Powys Police investigate

ARMED officers sealed off part of Pembroke Dock this afternoon (Friday, Feb 13) after a large-scale police operation in Gordon Street.

Heavily equipped firearms officers from Dyfed-Powys Police were seen wearing helmets and body armour and carrying carbines and ballistic shields as they surrounded a terraced property.

Multiple marked vehicles blocked both ends of the road while specialist teams moved in on foot. Two police dog units were also deployed to search the area.

Photographs from the scene show officers establishing a cordon with police tape across the street and positioning themselves at the doorway of a flat.

The Herald understands that at least one man was detained and led away in handcuffs. Witnesses reported several people being stopped during the operation.

One nearby resident said the response was swift and highly visible. “They blocked the street straight away. There were armed officers everywhere and dogs searching around,” they said.

Police have not yet confirmed the nature of the incident or how many arrests have been made.

Dyfed-Powys Police has been approached for further information.

More to follow as we receive it.

Man accused of killing ‘proud father of two’ after violent flat attack in Morriston

A JULY has retired to consider its verdict in the trial of a Swansea man accused of murdering his own brother in what prosecutors described as a violent and frenzied attack inside a family home.

The case, heard at Swansea Crown Court, centres on the death of Martin Steel, aged 48, who was found fatally injured at his flat in Hill View Crescent, Morriston.

Darren Steel, 41, denies murdering his brother.

Martin was described during proceedings as a “proud father of two” whose sudden death devastated his family and shocked neighbours in the close-knit community.

Concern was first raised on the morning of May 20, 2023, when neighbours noticed Martin’s dog whining alone in the garden at around 8.30am. Repeated calls and knocks at the door went unanswered.

The court heard that his mother, Dianne Steel, had planned to go shopping with her son that day. When she could not reach him, her fears grew and emergency services were called.

Paramedics and police forced entry to the flat and attempted CPR, but Martin was pronounced dead at 11.06am.

Giving emotional evidence, Mrs Steel told jurors she found her son “slumped in his chair in his living room, probably dead and covered in blood”.

Prosecutor Andrew Jones KC said the injuries were consistent with a sustained and violent assault inside the property.

During police interviews played to the court, Darren Steel admitted being at the flat the night before. He claimed he, his brother and his girlfriend had been taking heroin together.

He told officers the situation escalated after he believed Martin was “coming onto” his girlfriend, alleging this sparked a loss of control and a frenzied attack.

The prosecution argue the violence went far beyond self-defence and amounted to murder.

Jurors were taken through forensic evidence, witness testimony and the defendant’s account of events over several weeks of trial. Defence counsel urged them to consider the chaotic circumstances, including drug use and heightened emotions, when assessing Darren Steel’s state of mind at the time.

After closing speeches and the judge’s legal directions, the case was formally handed to the jury on Wednesday (Feb 12).

They will now deliberate in private before returning a verdict, with the court due to reconvene once a decision has been reached.

Offender had 1,101 unlawful images of children stored on his devices, including 122 Category A images – the most serious classification.

A PENDINE man has been jailed after admitting abducting a teenage girl, supplying her with drugs and keeping more than a thousand indecent images of children.

Richard Knight, aged 73, from Pendine, Carmarthenshire, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Swansea Crown Court following what police described as a lengthy and complex investigation.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police were alerted in the early hours of Monday, April 11, 2022 after a distressed 15-year-old girl phoned her mother asking to be collected, saying she had taken drugs at Knight’s home.

Police forced entry to the address after receiving no answer and finding concerns for the girl’s safety. Inside, officers discovered a small cannabis grow but no occupants. It later emerged Knight had driven the girl home himself.

He was arrested shortly afterwards on suspicion of drink driving and drug offences. A further search of the property uncovered several types of controlled drugs and a number of digital devices.

During interview, the teenager told officers she had agreed to meet Knight but believed he knew her age and that she had not told her mother where she was going. She described being given various drugs, including substances hidden inside fruit pastels. CCTV later showed Knight buying the sweets before collecting her.

Digital forensic analysis revealed 1,101 unlawful images of children stored on his devices, including 122 Category A images – the most serious classification.

Drug experts valued the cannabis grow at between £6,000 and £20,000. Officers also seized six different types of Class A drugs from the address.

Guilty pleas before trial

Knight was charged with 12 offences including child abduction, possession and making of indecent images of children, and being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

He admitted the drug offences in April last year and later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images. Although he initially denied child abduction, he changed his plea immediately before a trial was due to begin at court in January.

‘Very serious case’

Detective Constable Jon Gouldson said: “This was a very serious case involving a man who groomed a young and vulnerable girl for his own satisfaction.

“There is no doubt he knew that taking this 15-year-old into his home without parental permission was wrong.

“Taking or keeping a child under 16 without consent is a crime. There are no grey areas.

“We welcome today’s sentence and remain committed to bringing offenders like this before the courts.”

Support available

Anyone concerned about their own behaviour or thoughts towards children can seek confidential help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which runs the Stop It Now service aimed at preventing abuse before it happens.