News

Hotel arsonist released from prison

Published

9 years ago

January 29, 2016

A REFINERY worker who set fire to a Premier Inn was released from prison on Wednesday (Jan 13).

Georgina Tranter, aged 26, was jailed in July for 32 months at Swansea Crown Court. However, she had been released after serving just six months. She had been a guest at the Hunt Ball on January 18, and in her drunken state, set fire to the hotel with more that 100 people inside, after breaking up with her boyfriend.

The ball she attended was a £50-per-person event in Pembrokeshire, and her boyfriend at the time, William Harman, had concerns about their relationship prior to the night in question, and described her behaviour as “clingy.” The court also heard how Tranter had snorted a gram of what she thought was cocaine. When the pair went back to the hotel, and argument erupted between the pair, and Tranter was locked out of her room. She got changed and took the keys to her mother’s car without her knowledge. Then, she took a petrol canister from a lawn mower and drove back to the Premier Inn, where she poured petrol over a fire escape door, and set it alight.

A blaze broke out that singed the carpet of the hotel corridor, which was attended to by a fireman who was staying for the night at the hotel. No guests were injured, however a total of 133 guests had to be evacuated at 6.30am, and had to stand outside on a cold morning in January.

Now that Tranter has served her sentence, she is already back in the community and talking with friends on Facebook. She has already posted a number of ‘selfies’, which have generated a welcoming response from her friends. Those on Facebook who were happy to see her out of prison included Jacqui Hilton, who said: “Nice to see you home xx” and Eluned Walters, saying: “Hey nice to c you home and happy. Should arrange to go for a drink xxxx.”

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

31 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

Published

57 mins ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”

News

Protest in Lampeter to save Wales’ oldest university

Published

1 hour ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Wales’ oldest university staged a march and demonstration last Friday (Dec 20) in a bid to highlight the plight of the Lampeter campus.

The protest, organised by the Lampeter Society, brought together former and current students, along with local residents, to oppose plans by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) to relocate humanities courses to Carmarthen next September.

The rally began at Lampeter Rugby Club at 10:30am, with demonstrators marching to the university campus. Despite the timing—on a weekday and so close to Christmas—organisers reported a strong turnout.

Ieuan Davies, one of the organisers and a Lampeter alumnus from the 1980s, said: “We wanted to show support for the students whose education is being directly affected by these plans, and to remind decision-makers of the devastating impact this will have on the local economy and culture.”

Established in 1822, Lampeter is Wales’ oldest higher education institution. In 2009, it merged with Trinity College Carmarthen and later joined with Swansea Metropolitan University to form UWTSD.

The proposed relocation of the humanities faculty has sparked concerns about the long-term sustainability of higher education in Lampeter. Campaigners argue that losing the faculty would mark the end of over 200 years of academic heritage in the town.

The Lampeter Society has also launched a petition calling on the university and the Welsh Government to create a ‘viable, sustainable plan’ for the campus’s future. The petition requires 10,000 signatures to trigger a debate in the Senedd and can be accessed at https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246410.