News
Drunk man asked couple for a ‘threesome’
A MAN from Crosshands admitted a drunken, common assault at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Nicholas Luke Flint, age 22, of Norton Road, Pen-y-groes, pleaded guilty to beating David Tripp on a drunken night out, at a Pembrokeshire holiday park. Mr Vaughn Pritchard-Jones, prosecuting, told the court: “At around 11.30pm on a September 28, Mr David Tripp, a 48-year-old civil servant was staying at Kiln Park with his girlfriend. They walked into the leisure complex of Kiln Park. There was a group of men standing in the foyer, of which the defendant was one.
“One of the men shouted ‘Hey mate!’. The defendant said to him and to his girlfriend: ‘Do you want a threesome?’. Mr Tripp was surprised and said ‘What?’. The defendant confirmed what he said again: ‘A threesome.’ Mr Tripp continued to walk into the centre, telling the defendant, perhaps unwisely, to ‘**** ***’.
“The man ran after him and punched him once, connecting with the left hand side of his temple, causing glasses to be pushed into his face, and had a small cut on the bridge of his nose as a result of being punched. He didn’t retaliate, just stepped back and walked away.”
“The police attended, and Mr Flint was arrested and interviewed. He stated he didn’t remember much as he had been watching Swansea play football and had consumed a lot of alcohol. He had little recollection of events after the match. He does accept that he remembers punching the man. He says he punched him as he had been annoying him all night.”
“Aggravating features in this case seem to be an unprovoked attack under the heavy influence of alcohol. The offence was committed while subject to a community order.”
Defending solicitor, Mike Kelleher said: “You have the previous convictions and there are none for violence. My job is made difficult as the defendant cannot remember what has happened. The defendant appears to have punched the victim and he accepts that he did it, he also accepted it in interview.
“The injuries are not serious, a small cut and a black eye. In the circumstances I ask you to find that this is in the lower end of the scale. You may care to deal with this by way of a financial penalty, or if you feel the actions of the victims have not helped then you may consider a conditional discharge.”
The chairman of the bench told the defendant: “This didn’t seem to be a particularly pleasing event for the victim, Mr Tripp. Therefore we are going to award him compensation of £50 for the cut. We will give you a conditional discharge for a period of 12 months.
“You will not be further punished for this offence but if you commit further offences in the next 12 months you will then be re-sentenced for this offence. We will award costs of £150, which will be added to your current outstanding fines of £625. We will deduct the new fine from your benefits at a rate of £5 per week.”
Crime
Unanimous verdict in Ceredigion sexual assault case
A CEREDIGION man has been convicted to three years and six months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in her own bed after the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict.
27-year-old Suroj Bk, from Llangrannog, was sentenced this week following a week-long trial at Swansea Crown Court (May 1).
On 7 October 2023, Dyfed-Powys Police received a report that Bk entered the victim’s home and sexually assaulted her while she lay in her bed.
When the victim realised what was happening, she kicked Bk out of her bed and called the police.
Upon receiving the report, officers quickly attended the victim’s home and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding area using police dogs and scenes of crime officers.
Evidence gathered from scene, together with extensive local enquiries, led officers to arrest Suroj Bk the next day (8 October).
While Bk was in custody, detectives, crime scene investigators, and digital forensic officers worked tirelessly to uncover the evidence that ultimately placed Suroj Bk at the scene.
After hearing the evidence, the jury took less than two hours to agree a unanimous guilty verdict.
The detective in charge of the case has praised the victim for her ‘tremendous courage’ in reporting the assault to police.
“Incidents of this nature are thankfully very rare within Ceredigion, and I’d like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident, and that the identification and arrest of suspect was done quickly and efficiently,” said Detective Inspector Sam Gregory.
“The victim in this case demonstrated tremendous courage in reporting to police, and while this investigation was not straightforward in its nature, it was through the expertise and tenacity of forensic officers, working together with the investigation team, and the victim, that led to this successful prosecution.
“I hope the sentence given to Suroj Bk sends a clear and strong message that Dyfed-Powys Police takes reports of sexual offences seriously.
“We will listen to you, and we will work tirelessly to get justice.”
On Wednesday, 1 May 2024, Saroj Bk was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and a five-year restraining order, and he will be on the sex offenders register for life.
If you have been a victim of a crime such as this, report it to Dyfed-Powys Police either through a direct message on social media, online at: https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.
In an emergency, always call 999.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.
News
Body recovered confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, say police
DYFED-POWYS police have said today that the body found on Wednesday, May 1, has been confirmed to be Luke Stephenson, who was reported missing from the Pembroke Dock area on April 14.
A spokesperson for the force said: “We will continue to support the family and will assist with issuing a tribute publicly if the family wish to do so.”
In a statement, his family said: “Luke was a joyful and funny young man and always wanted to help others. He was a loving son, brother, grandson and uncle, and will be forever missed.
“We have lost a huge part of our family, and our loss is shared by his many friends who also loved him dearly.
“We would like to thank the local community for the overwhelming support we have received.”
Business
Port of Milford Haven now official ‘a great place to work’
THE PORT of Milford Haven has been officially accredited as a Great Place to Work-Certified™ organisation. As the first Port Authority in Britain to secure this Certification™, it is a significant achievement.
“We are very proud to be Great Place to Work-Certified™,” said Vidette Swales, HR Director at the Port of Milford Haven. “It means so much that our employees have reported a consistently positive experience with their colleagues, their leaders and their jobs. Offering a positive employee experience is not only beneficial for the people who work with us but is also key for our continued business success.”
Tom Sawyer, CEO at the Port of Milford Haven added: “Our team is operating the UK’s leading energy port, and it is of the utmost importance that we do that safely, responsibly and effectively. We’re striving for excellence and aim to provide a world class service to our customers as well as supporting sustainable coastal communities for the prosperity of future generations. Our employees are clearly at the centre of this which is why I’m delighted that they feel supported in their role. I’m especially proud that this Certification™ demonstrates our core values of Safety, Excellence, Collaboration and Sustainability so perfectly.”
“We congratulate the Port of Milford Haven on achieving their Certification™,” said Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® UK. “Organisations which put the employee experience at the heart of their business gain their employees’ trust and, in turn, are truly able to build a great workplace culture that delivers outstanding business results.”
Find out more about careers at the Port of Milford Haven here: www.mhpa.co.uk/about/careers-at-the-port/.
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