News

Grieving mum hits out at defence force

Published

13 years ago

January 16, 2014

HEARTBROKEN mum Helen Thomasen, from Haverfordwest, has slammed the armed forces after her hero son was killed in an Afghanistan firefight.

Lance Corporal Rory Malone was gunned down after he saved the life of Major Craig Wilson, who had been shot by insurgents.

The 26-year-old was then hit by a 7.62mm calibre round before he died on the battlefield with fellow Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer. But Helen, originally from New Zealand, has been appalled by her treatment at the hands of the New Zealand Defence Force, where her son served.

She claims she was misled over the role her boy was playing in the warzone.

“The average New Zealand soldier has not seen combat since Vietnam,” Helen said.

“Our soldiers are only really deployed for peacekeeping missions.”

But this time was different. The so-called “Battle of Baghak” saw Rory and Pralli killed and six wounded, two by so-called friendly fire.

“I never thought for a moment that he would ever be in danger, it had never crossed my mind,” the mum of seven said.

On the day of the battle, on August 4, 2012, Malone – the great-great-grandson of Gallipoli campaign commander Lieutenant Colonel William George Malone – was assigned to one of four patrols. They were responding to a help call from the NDS – the Afghan secret police – who had come under fire after catching a bombmaker in the remote Baghak Valley.

Craig’s patrol were first on the scene. They were there for six hours. Then Major Wilson arrived.

While Malone was briefing Wilson, he saw an insurgent and started shooting at him over Wilson’s shoulder.

The major was hit in the arm and dragged to the back of a Humvee truck by Malone and an unnamed officer.

Malone, who had by then taken a bullet in the leg, also got in the vehicle. But he got out again. The family do not know why he did this.

Seconds later he was dead.

Helen, 53, said questions needed to be answered about why her became a “sitting duck” and why footage of the firefight showed her son “appears to be in charge” of the situation despite his rank.

But she feared she would never get the “full information” from the military.

Helen heard her boy was dead when she was called from New Zealand by her son Peter at 2.30pm, UK time.

“I knew instantly something was wrong because he was ringing at that time,” Helen said.

Peter told her: “Rory has been shot and he is dead.”

“I told him not to ring me up and tell that s*** to me because how could that be true,” Helen said.

Just discovering her son was in combat was “a huge shock”.

“The thing about New Zealand soldiers is that they do not expect to see armed combat,” she said.

“You can be in the army for 20 years and never see armed combat.”

The former Dyfed-Powys Police traffic warden used to watch British soldiers’ coffins being removed from planes on the news.

“I would think, ‘Thank God I never have to go through that’,” she said.

The NZDF could not be reached for comment.

But in a previous statement it insisted it was satisfied with care shown to Malone’s family, and it was always trying to improve.

“The NZDF continues to learn from these experiences and adapt its procedures,” a spokesman said.

Crime

Man sentenced after false stabbing claim in abusive 999 call

Published

9 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Court Reporter

Court hears intoxicated caller wasted police resources after contacting officers from Penally caravan site

A MAN has been sentenced after falsely claiming he had been stabbed and making abusive comments during a 999 call to police.

Christopher Lawrence, 43, contacted the emergency services from the Oasis campsite in Penally on June 2, saying he wanted to report a crime.

“He told police that he had been stabbed, stating: ‘You f****** don’t care,’” Crown prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Lawrence then ended the call, but the police control room contacted him again.

He told the call handler that a man he described as “half bald” and drunk had arrived at the campsite and was threatening him.

“I’ve told the f****** police that if he comes here, I’ll go mental,” Lawrence said.

He also claimed to have suffered a stab wound to his side but said he did not require an ambulance.

When officers arrived, they found Lawrence heavily intoxicated.

“He told the officers that he had not been stabbed and had not made the call, but clearly that was not the case,” Ms Vaughan said.

Lawrence, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to sending an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message to police.

His solicitor, Michael Kelleher, said the offence had been driven by Lawrence’s alcohol misuse.

“What runs throughout this case is his alcohol abuse, but he is now showing a willingness to address it,” Mr Kelleher told the court.

“This functioning alcoholic wants to get to the bottom of his problem and stop offending.

“Alcohol can heighten a person’s anxiety and their perception of what is happening. There was no issue concerning his safety on this occasion, but there had been in the past, and that was playing on his mind.

“But what he did was wrong. It was a waste of police resources, and he understands how other people could have been affected by his actions.”

Lawrence was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including a nine-month alcohol treatment programme and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also fined £100 and ordered to pay a £114 surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Crime

Saundersfoot man admits attempted sexual communication with a child

Published

9 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A 56-YEAR-OLD man has admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child in Saundersfoot.

Appearing before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week was Philip Williams, of Valley View, Saundersfoot.

The court was told that between July 20 and July 28, 2024, Williams attempted to engage in sexual communication with a 13-year-old child who was called Sam.

During his communication with the child, Williams requested snapchat images of the child’s bottom as well as images of her wearing running leggings or tights. This, the court, was told, was for his sexual gratification.

But unknown to Williams, the ‘child’ was an undercover police officer.

Williams pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

His sentencing will take place on August 4 to enable an all options pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service.

Crime

Rear-seat passenger admits causing serious injury by dangerous driving

Published

9 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Court hears 21-year-old repeatedly grabbed steering wheel of moving Volkswagen Golf

A REAR-SEAT passenger has admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving after repeatedly grabbing the steering wheel of a moving car.

Joseph Lawrence Jones, 21, was travelling in the back of a Volkswagen Golf being driven by Sioned Tesni Povey, 22, along the Spring Wells to Spittal road on September 30.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard that Jones reached forward from the rear seat and pulled the steering wheel from the driver.

“He then repeated his actions, but Sioned Povey continued to drive and made no resistance to Mr Jones’ actions,” Crown prosecutor Sian Vaughan said.

“This was a deliberate decision to ignore the rules of the road.”

The court heard that Harlie-Louise Smith sustained serious injuries during the incident.

Jones, of Wesley Way, Spittal, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Povey, of Duncan Terrace, Maenclochog, denied the same charge, maintaining that her driving had not caused Ms Smith’s injuries.

Although magistrates accepted jurisdiction to deal with the case, Povey elected to be tried at the Crown Court.

She is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on August 14, when Jones is also expected to be sentenced.

Magistrates imposed an interim driving disqualification on Jones.

Both defendants were released on unconditional bail.