Crash happened outside Haverfordwest McDonald’s just three months after passing test

A TEENAGE motorist has been sentenced after causing serious injuries to a pedestrian on a zebra crossing outside McDonald’s in Haverfordwest, just three months after passing his driving test.

CCTV footage shown to Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week captured restaurant employee Cameron Davies walking towards the car park zebra crossing after completing an eight-hour shift on July 17. As he began to cross, a white Vauxhall Corsa driven by 17-year-old Jayden Kerrick approached at speed and struck him.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Cameron Davies described the moment his evening took a devastating turn.

“When I finished my shift at 10:00pm I left the restaurant via the front door,” he said.

“I recall walking towards the crossing. I checked to the right and left to make sure the path was clear, but as I started walking onto the crossing my next recollection was coming round in the back of an ambulance.”

Davies was taken to Withybush General Hospital where doctors treated him for a bleed on the brain after he struck his head on the car park tarmac during the collision. The impact also triggered a seizure, and he continues to receive medication as a result.

The court heard that he continues to suffer a number of ongoing symptoms, including dizziness, poor coordination and flashbacks to the moment his head struck the ground whenever he hears loud banging noises. Investigations into the full extent of his injuries are continuing.

“I’m now back at work but I’m extremely wary every time I approach any crossing,” he said.

“At the time of the incident I was learning to drive, and this was something I was looking forward to. But this has now been put on hold after being told that I’m unable to drive for 12 months as a result of the seizures.”

Jayden Kerrick, now aged 18, of Baring Gould Way, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving. He was represented in court by Alaw Harries.

“His guilty pleas have been made without hesitation and he accepts full responsibility for what happened that night,” she told the court.

“He was just seventeen when this happened, so he was a young and inexperienced driver. He’s deeply devastated that his actions have caused injury to the complainant and he’s asked me to express his unreserved remorse.”

Harries said Kerrick had seen Davies leaving the restaurant.

“But there was a split-second error, and he realises that the consequences are real,” she said.

“He has been replaying the events in his mind ever since and has found the experience extremely distressing. This is not someone with a pattern of offending, but someone who made a serious mistake that night and who has reflected deeply upon it.”

Kerrick, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to an 18-month community order. During that time he must complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs.

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sentenced after punching a convicted paedophile inside a town centre pub.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that Michael Harries, aged 40, approached the victim inside the Wetherspoons pub in Haverfordwest in October before punching him twice in the face.

Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told the court that the victim had been in the pub for around nineteen minutes before closing time when the incident occurred.

“The victim was in the pub approximately nineteen minutes before closing time and noticed a male he didn’t know shout at him and call him a paedophile,” she said.

“The defendant then used his fist to punch the victim twice to the face, causing him to fall to the ground.”

Magistrates were shown CCTV footage of the incident along with a photograph of the victim’s injuries. The victim suffered a laceration to his nose and swelling to his left eye.

He attended Withybush General Hospital following the assault but left after being told he could face a wait of up to seven hours to see a doctor.

Police officers were called to the scene, and the court heard that Harries could be heard repeatedly shouting: “He’s a f****** paedophile. He’s a f****** nonce.”

During the arrest, a female police officer was heard telling Harries to stand still. She could also be heard shouting: “Don’t pinch me… stop pinching me.”

Harries, of Barn Street, Haverfordwest, pleaded guilty to assault by beating and to assaulting an emergency worker. He also admitted failing to attend an initial assessment appointment linked to suspected cocaine use.

Probation officer Julie Norman told magistrates that Harries did not know the victim personally but had acted after hearing information about him.

“He doesn’t personally know the victim, but he heard some information about him which led to the assault,” she said.

Harries was represented by solicitor Tom Lloyd, who said his client deeply regretted the incident and had taken steps to change his behaviour.

“At that time he was drinking and taking drugs as a coping mechanism to deal with a number of issues, including the breakdown of a long-term relationship,” he said.

“He deeply regrets this very unpleasant incident, but since then he has taken significant steps to address his behaviour.”

Magistrates sentenced Harries to an 18-month community order.

The order requires him to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, undergo a 120-day alcohol monitoring requirement, and carry out 75 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £500 compensation to the victim, £150 compensation to the police officer, £170 court costs, and a £114 victim surcharge.

Nearly 200% rise in five years raises alarm among safety experts

ACCIDENTAL poisoning deaths in Wales have surged dramatically, with new safety data showing a sharp increase in fatalities and a growing risk to older people living at home.

Figures released by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) show 252 people in Wales died from accidental poisoning in 2024, compared with 85 deaths in 2019 – an increase of almost 200 per cent in just five years.

Safety experts say older people are particularly vulnerable. Those aged 65 and over are more than five times more likely to die from an accidental poisoning – excluding narcotics – than the general population.

Even when alcohol-related incidents are excluded, people in this age group remain more than four times as likely to die from accidental poisoning.

Across the UK the trend is also rising sharply. Official figures show 5,770 people died from accidental poisonings in 2024, a 63 per cent increase over the past decade.

Hospitals in England recorded 17,252 admissions linked to non-narcotic poisoning last year, including nearly 5,000 cases involving older adults, who were 55 per cent more likely to require emergency hospital care.

RoSPA warns that people living with dementia face particular dangers inside their own homes because the condition can affect memory, recognition and perception. Everyday household products such as cleaning sprays, laundry detergents and medicines can easily be mistaken for food or drink.

Rebecca Guy, Senior Policy Manager at RoSPA, said: “Families caring for vulnerable relatives can experience genuinely frightening moments. Turning away for just a few seconds and realising someone has swallowed a cleaning product is sadly something some people have experienced.

“These incidents are not freak accidents. They are predictable and preventable events, and our new guidance is designed to help people take simple steps to make their homes safer.”

The charity has released new home-safety guidance aimed at helping families reduce risks, including practical advice on safely storing medicines and household chemicals.

Paul Edwards, Chief Nursing Officer at Dementia UK, said brightly coloured packaging on cleaning products can create confusion for people living with dementia.

“Laundry and cleaning products are often easily accessible in our homes, and many have brightly coloured packaging which can cause confusion for people with dementia, who may mistake them for edible items,” he said.

“One of the challenges of supporting someone with dementia is balancing an individual’s independence with their safety. It is impossible to eliminate risk completely, but these guidelines offer simple steps people can take to reduce the chance of these accidents happening.”

Simon Wheeler, Senior Knowledge Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said staying safe at home is a key concern for families affected by dementia.

“As dementia progresses, people may find it harder to tell the difference between something that’s safe to eat and something that isn’t,” he said.

“Storing cleaning products safely and out of sight can help reduce the risk of accidents.”

RoSPA is urging households to take simple precautions, including locking away cleaning products, keeping medicines securely stored, and ensuring hazardous substances remain in their original packaging.

Safety experts warn that without greater awareness, accidental poisonings could continue to rise as the population ages and more people live independently at home.