News

Calamity as joint committee cancelled

Published

11 years ago

March 19, 2015

A ROW between councillors and officers has escalated this week after a meeting intended to scrutinise the decision to close

Truth seeker: Jacob Williams

Community Learning Centres was postponed at the eleventh hour.

The proposed joint meeting of the Older Persons’ Health & Well Being and the Children & Families Overview and Scrutiny Committees was called by Head of Legal Services, Claire Incledon. Her decision followed a call-in of the Cabinet’s decision to shut Community Learning Centres in Fishguard and Pembroke Dock by members of the Older Persons’ Committee.

Due to meet on Wednesday (Mar 3) the meeting was cancelled late on Tuesday (Mar 2).

The Pembrokeshire Herald became aware of a potential difficulty when preparing its preview of the joint committee meeting. The council’s constitution provides only for the Head of Legal Services to summon one committee to consider a call-in request.

We put our detailed observations on the point to the council. A council spokesperson told us subsequently that: “The Head of Legal and Committee Services has provided advice to members in relation to the call-in The advice clarifies that it is not a Joint Committee (or ‘new’ Committee) that has been created and that the calling of both committees to sit concurrently is not unconstitutional.”

A lengthy explanatory note from Ms Incledon, which The Herald has seen, was emailed to councillors at noon on Tuesday. That note maintained the position that the meeting was constitutional, but appeared to suggest that both committees would sit as two separate committees in the same room at the same time to discuss the same subject.

That note received a strong response from Cllr Mike Stoddart. Cllr Stoddart pointed out the express provision of the constitution and pointed out that: “The constitution does not allow the head of legal services to declare it a dead-heat and call a meeting of both committees.”

Ms Incledon’s advisory note also states that calling the meeting in the way would save ‘on officer and member time and unnecessary duplication, and ensures consistency in consideration of the matter; and provides a sensible and reasonable way forward’.

The Herald understands that the decision to cancel the meeting was reached following an intervention from Acting Head of Paid Service Ian Westley, citing ‘further consideration of Procedure Rules’.

The subsequent council statement read: “It was felt that procedurally the meeting would have been overly bureaucratic.”

After the publication of that statement, Cllr Jacob Williams said: “I think the public deserves to know the truth – that, as councillors have pointed out, the handling of this vital call-in was hopelessly flawed and the meeting, had it gone ahead, would have been unconstitutional.”

Responding, soon-to-depart Monitoring Officer Laurence Harding wrote: “The reason for the cancellation is not related to the fact that there was to be concurrent meetings of the O&S committees but due to perceived difficulties in the procedure for such a meeting.”

Mr Harding – whose role as Monitoring Officer was subject to a vote of no confidence following his interference in the debate on Bryn Parry-Jones’ future held on February 14 2014 and who has had a prickly relationship with some councillors – denied there were any problems with the constitutional position.

Undeterred, Jacob Williams wrote to the Monitoring Officer stating that Mr Harding’s rationale lacked credibility. He said: “I think that just about sums up the total reluctance to hold hands up at County Hall.”

Cllr Williams continued: “It would have been better to have said nothing at all than to have tried to spin the meeting’s cancellation on the claim that it would have been ‘overly bureaucratic.’ To expect anybody – let alone members – to believe that, especially when they are fully aware of the background and prior reluctance to accept that the matter was handled wrongly just insults our intelligence.”

The last word on the matter was given by Cllr David Simpson: “Mr Harding’s advice which members received yesterday seems to imply that the constitution can be interpreted anyway he, or the head of legal services, likes.”

He continued: “The way forward is to admit that a mistake was made in calling for a joint meeting and to refer this matter to Older Persons O&S as soon as possible.”

Cllr Simpson concluded: “Many members and the public have been hoping for a new dawn in Pembrokeshire, unfortunately it seems that while some of the players have changed the culture remains the same.”

Crime

Man charged with attempted murder after Carmarthen park incident

Published

11 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

57-year-old due in court following alleged knife and stalking offences

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder following a serious incident in Carmarthen town centre last week.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that James McKenna, aged 57, from Carmarthen, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, and stalking.

The charges relate to an incident in Carmarthen Park on Thursday (Jan 29), which prompted a significant emergency services response and caused concern among residents.

Police have not yet released full details of the circumstances, but officers were seen in and around the park area for several hours following the incident while enquiries were carried out.

McKenna is due to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday (Feb 5).

The Herald understands the case involves allegations of both violence and targeted behaviour towards an individual, with stalking listed among the charges.

Public concern

Carmarthen Park is a popular and busy public space used daily by families, dog walkers and joggers, and incidents of this severity are rare.

The news has prompted concern locally, particularly as the alleged offences include possession of a knife in a public place.

Residents have previously raised questions about safety in parks and open spaces across west Wales, especially during darker winter evenings.

Court proceedings

At this stage, the charges remain allegations and the case will now proceed through the courts.

Magistrates will decide whether the case is sent to Crown Court due to the seriousness of the attempted murder charge.

Further details are expected to emerge during Thursday’s hearing.

The Herald will be attending court and will provide updates as they become available.

Crime

Sex offender jailed after living off grid in Pembrokeshire and refusing to register

Published

12 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Court Reporter

Man walked into police station after months avoiding authorities

A CONVICTED sex offender who told police he intended to live “off grid” rather than comply with legal monitoring rules has been jailed after handing himself in at a Pembrokeshire police station.

Christopher Spelman, aged 66, of no fixed address, appeared for sentence at Swansea Crown Court after admitting breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

The court heard Spelman was released from prison in Dorset on July 4 last year but immediately refused to provide police with an address, despite being legally required to do so within three days.

Instead, he indicated he planned to buy a tent and live outdoors.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson said officers subsequently launched a nationwide search when Spelman failed to make contact with police. Public appeals were issued and his case featured on the television programme Crimewatch.

Detectives believed he had been travelling around the UK using public transport and staying at campsites. He was known to have links to several areas including Merseyside, Manchester, Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire.

His whereabouts remained unknown until January 3 this year, when he walked into Haverfordwest police station and was arrested. It is unclear how long he had been in Pembrokeshire.

Spelman previously served seven years in prison after being convicted in 2014 of 12 counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 14. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard this was not the first time he had failed to comply with the rules. After an earlier release in 2016, he again failed to register his address and avoided police for around five years before being caught.

He has 11 previous convictions for 29 offences.

Defence barrister Andrew Evans described the case as unusual and said his client had long disputed his original conviction and had expressed a wish to live “outside society”.

However, he said Spelman had gradually accepted that he remained subject to court orders and now wanted more stable accommodation and a chance to rebuild his life. The defendant asked the court to impose a custodial sentence so arrangements could be made for his future release.

Judge Geraint Walters noted there were signs Spelman wished to change but warned that any further breaches would result in longer prison terms.

With credit for his guilty plea, Spelman was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

Crime

Former Wales rugby star admits Christmas Day drink-driving offence

Published

18 hours ago

February 4, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

Ex-Ospreys captain was almost twice over limit in Pembroke town centre

Former Wales back row Jonathan Thomas has admitted driving through Pembroke town centre on Christmas Day when he was almost twice over the drink-drive limit.

This week Haverfordwest magistrates heard that Thomas, 43, was stopped by officers as he drove his Mercedes CLA 220 along The Green, Pembroke, at around 5pm on Christmas Day.

“The officers were very concerned at the manner of his driving, as the car was being driven erratically and was swerving to the other side of the road,” said Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan.

“When Jonathan Thomas got out of the car, the officers could see that he was having difficulty standing and was unsteady on his feet.”

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed Thomas had 62 mcg of alcohol in his system, the legal limit being 35.

Thomas, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to the drink-drive charge and was represented in court by solicitor Jess Hill.

“He has family in the area and had travelled to spend time with them on Christmas Day,” she told the magistrates. “He’s very remorseful for his actions and hugely regrets his decision that day.”

Jess Hill concluded by saying that Thomas is currently “between jobs and living off his savings”.

Thomas, who gave his address as Main Road, Bredon, was disqualified from driving for a total of 18 months.

“The length of your disqualification reflects the fact that you were more than a little bit over the limit,” commented the presiding magistrates when imposing sentence.

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

The former Wales back row left his role as Swansea RFC head coach at the beginning of December 2025 as a result of ongoing health concerns. He was forced to retire from playing in 2015 on medical advice after being diagnosed with epilepsy and is one of the 390 former rugby union players currently taking part in a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities.

“Long-standing issues linked to the head trauma have caused me some concern recently and it has been impossible for me to give the role everything it needs,” he said in a previous interview with the BBC.

His rugby career started out with Pembroke RFC juniors before moving to Swansea RFC, which he captained when he was 19. He then joined the Ospreys where, over a ten-year period, he won four league titles and an Anglo-Welsh Cup. He was the youngest player to captain the Ospreys and, at the time of leaving, was the joint highest appearance holder, together with Andrew Bishop, on 188 appearances.

His international career saw him play for Wales at Under-16, Youth, Under-19, Under-21 and Sevens levels. He made his senior international debut against Australia in 2003, featured at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was part of two Six Nations Grand Slam-winning sides in 2005 and 2008. Between 2004 and 2011, Thomas was included in every Wales Six Nations squad. In his appearances for Wales, he scored seven tries.