Milford Haven teacher gives evidence as trial of 15-year-old continues at Swansea Crown Court

A TEACHER allegedly stabbed at Milford Haven Comprehensive School has told a jury there were no problems between her and the accused pupil in the hours before the attack.

Vicki Williams, giving evidence at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday, said she had taught the 15-year-old defendant during a history lesson earlier on February 5, 2026, and had no concerns about his behaviour.

The teenager, who cannot be identified because of his age, denies attempted murder, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and unlawful wounding. He has admitted possessing a bladed article.

Mrs Williams told the court she taught the defendant between 9.25am and 10.30am on the day of the incident.

Asked about her relationship with the pupil, she said there had been no issues during the lesson and that, from her perspective, they had always got on well.

The court heard that after the school day ended at around 3.10pm, the defendant approached Mrs Williams while she was working in a classroom.

Mrs Williams told jurors that he stood beside her and engaged her in conversation while searching through his school bag.

She said she believed he was looking for something and continued talking to him as he rifled through the bag.

The jury heard that moments later she saw him remove an object before she was knocked backwards into a chair.

Looking up, she said she saw a knife in his hand.

Mrs Williams told the court she suffered a stab wound to the head during the incident.

She said she later injured her hand while attempting to grab the knife in an effort to stop herself being stabbed again.

The teacher received treatment in hospital following the incident.

The court also heard that an unrelated incident had occurred earlier in the day when a lower pane of glass in a classroom door was broken while Mrs Williams was teaching another class.

The prosecution alleges the defendant carried out a planned attack on the teacher. The defence denies the allegations.

The trial before Judge Paul Thomas KC is expected to continue for several weeks.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will continue to report from Swansea Crown Court as further evidence is heard.

Duty manager says she was left shaken after glass jar was allegedly thrown at her head

POLICE are appealing for witnesses following an alleged assault at Iceland in Haverfordwest, where a duty manager says she was injured after a glass jar was thrown at her head.

Dyfed-Powys Police has now confirmed it is investigating the incident and is asking anyone with information to come forward.

The incident happened at the Iceland store in Haverfordwest town centre. The Herald previously reported that a member of staff had been left shaken, anxious and struggling to feel safe at work following the alleged attack.

The worker, who has asked not to be named, said a man entered the shop late in the evening, became abusive, threw items from shelves and allegedly threw a jar at her head.

She told The Herald: “A male entered the shop late evening being abusive. He then proceeded to throw items off the shelves and threw a jar at my head.

“I didn’t know what to do. I was thinking of the customers still in and around the store.”

The duty manager said she later required medical treatment for a head injury.

She said: “I’ve had my head glued, had headaches and trouble sleeping. I’m still going to work but very anxious doing so.”

She added that returning to work had been extremely difficult.

“It was very frightening going back to work not feeling safe,” she said. “The memories are raw. The smells and visions are going to hang around for a while yet.”

The worker said the incident highlighted wider concerns about abuse and violence faced by retail staff.

She said: “There’s not much a retail worker can do. Our options are limited. We can’t approach any customers. Our store has very little security options.

“We can only call emergency services and ask the person to leave. By the time emergency help has arrived, it’s usually too late, whether it’s your usual theft or incidents like this.”

She said more security was needed to protect shop workers and customers in Haverfordwest.

“There needs to be more security presence,” she said. “I’m not just speaking of Iceland, but I’m sure most shops in Haverfordwest are very open to thefts and abuse, from children up to impatient customers of all ages.

“Whether that’s police or stores employing their own security, something needs to happen.”

Despite the incident, the duty manager thanked customers, colleagues, nearby shops and family members for their support.

She said: “Everybody who has heard of the situation has looked after me, and I’m definitely learning of the community spirit here in Haverfordwest.

“I know the locals know who I am but I don’t want the attention. I just need to heal and power through this.

“I’m just grateful for everyone’s help and only want everyone to feel safe at work.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has information which could help police, is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by calling 101, or by emailing [email protected].

Official data shows major and critical non-compliances at Welsh meat plants, as Animal Aid claims the figures expose serious welfare and hygiene concerns

A PEMBROKESHIRE slaughterhouse was given the Food Standards Agency’s most serious audit rating after inspectors recorded major and critical non-compliances, official data shows.

The latest FSA meat establishment audit data, published as of July 1, 2026, lists Euro Farm Wales, Haverfordwest, as requiring “urgent improvement necessary”.

The audit data records 16 minor, four major and five critical non-compliances at the site.

Critical non-compliances are the most serious category used in FSA audits and can involve immediate risks to animal welfare, public health or hygienic production.

The figures come after animal rights group Animal Aid analysed FSA slaughterhouse audit records and claimed that almost every operational UK slaughterhouse had recorded at least one non-compliance.

Animal Aid said its analysis of June 2026 data found 3,716 failures across 246 operational UK slaughterhouses, with only one site having a completely clean record. It said more than 40 per cent of sites had at least one major non-compliance.

The group said the figures challenged claims that the UK meat industry operates to consistently high welfare standards.

Alex Harman, Campaign Manager at Animal Aid, said: “The British public has been fed a marketing myth that UK slaughterhouses are gold standard of animal welfare. This data proves that ‘humane slaughter’ is a bureaucratic lie.

“When the government’s highest rating allows for hundreds of systemic violations, and high-risk facilities are left to operate in the dark without required audits, the system isn’t just failing, it is working exactly as intended to keep the assembly line of death moving at all costs.”

Animal Aid said the answer was not simply tougher rules, but a move away from animal agriculture and towards plant-based food systems.

The FSA data also lists other Pembrokeshire-linked slaughterhouses with recorded non-compliances.

Capestone Organic Poultry Ltd, Haverfordwest, is listed as “generally satisfactory”, with 15 minor and two major non-compliances.

Lloyd West Ltd, Pembrokeshire, is also listed as “generally satisfactory”, with 14 minor and one major non-compliance.

Across Wales, the July dataset lists 18 slaughterhouses with 261 total non-compliances, including 26 major and five critical non-compliances.

The FSA audit system covers approved meat establishments, including slaughterhouses, cutting plants and game handling establishments. Audits examine areas including hygiene, animal welfare, food safety systems, maintenance, cleaning, handling, traceability and the management of animal by-products.

The agency grades audit outcomes using categories including “good”, “generally satisfactory”, “improvement necessary” and “urgent improvement necessary”.

Animal Aid said one of the concerns raised by the data was that sites could still receive positive or mid-level ratings despite recording numerous non-compliances.

The campaign group pointed to examples elsewhere in the UK where slaughterhouses were rated “good” or “generally satisfactory” despite having multiple recorded failures.

However, the FSA has previously said overall animal welfare compliance in abattoirs is very high. In a June 2026 Food Standards Agency blog post, the agency said there were 542 animal welfare breaches in abattoirs in England and Wales during 2025/26, affecting 33,679 animals out of more than one billion animals processed.

The agency said this meant 0.0032 per cent of animals were affected.

Animal Aid argues that the audit data still shows systemic problems, particularly because breaches were recorded at sites subject to official checks, veterinary oversight and CCTV requirements.

David Magna, a former slaughterhouse inspector quoted by Animal Aid, said: “After years working as a slaughterhouse inspector, I came to understand that the failures I witnessed were not isolated incidents, they were the predictable consequences. Success is measured by production.”

The FSA dataset does not, in its headline table, provide detailed narrative descriptions of each individual non-compliance at each site.

Further clarification would be needed from the FSA and the operators involved to establish the exact nature of the major and critical findings, whether enforcement action followed, and whether the issues have since been addressed.