News

Cowshed Cinderella in Court of Appeal

Published

10 years ago

May 16, 2016

A £1.3 MILLION “golden egg” is at the centre of a renewed and bitter Appeal Court battle between an aging farming couple and their estranged daughter – dubbed the “Cowshed Cinderella”.

Eirian Davies, 46, was repeatedly assured by her parents, Tegwyn and Mary Davies, now in their 70s, that she would ultimately step into their shoes and take over the family’s thriving Henllan Farm, Whitland, and its herd of pedigree Holstein cows.

And in May 2014 three Appeal Court judges ruled that a stake in the thriving 182-acre farm was due to her for the years of low-paid toil she put in.

Miss Davies has told how she missed out on going to Young Farmers’ Club dances with her two sisters as a teenager because she had to “stay at home with a muck fork” , tackling her farming chores.

She worked on the family farm for over 25 years, although with sporadic breaks over the years.

“They always told me that the farm would be left to me,” Miss Davies told an earlier court hearing.

“Even on my birthday, when the other girls were having things, they would say – ‘you will have the damn lot one day, it will all be yours’,” she said.

Her father would regularly warn her “not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg” if she complained about her meagre wages, she added.

Until she reached the age of 21, Miss Davies was paid nothing at all for her work on the farm and, after that, there was a period when she was paid just £15-a-day for milking the cows, although sometimes she received more.

She claimed she could have ‘made a better life elsewhere’, but her 75-year-old father and mother, 76, insisted she had earned a fair income during her stints working on the farm, also being provided with free ‘bed and board’ and other benefits.

Describing her as ‘a self-employed herdswoman’, they argued she would have done no better financially had she worked away from the farm.

In 2009, Miss Davies was shown her parents’ draft will, which left the lion’s share of the farm to her.

However, the couple later made changes to their bequests and proposed placing the farm in trust for the benefit of all three sisters equally.

Miss Davies had a ‘passionate interest in pedigree milking cows’ and, by 1989 when she turned 21, she was the only sister left at the farm, ‘her sisters having departed to follow other paths’.

And, when she left the farm to work elsewhere for a while, her father begged her to return.

The bitter legal dispute was finally sparked in August 2012 following an “altercation” in the milking parlour – after which Miss Davies’ parents launched an unsuccessful bid to evict their daughter from Henllan Farmhouse.

Later on, Judge Milwyn Jarman QC ruled Miss Davies was entitled to a beneficial interest in the family’s lucrative farming business, prompting her parents to challenge that ruling in the Appeal Court.

But in May 2014 Lord Justice Floyd dismissed the couple’s appeal, ruling that Miss Davies had received “less than full recompense” for her contribution to the farm.

The appeal judge concluded: “This is in many ways a tragic case. The bitterness between the parties was such that each had few, if any, good words to say about the other.”

After the parents’ appeal was rejected, the case was sent back to Judge Jarman to put a figure on the amount of compensation due to Miss Davies.

He awarded her £1.3 million for her share of the family farming business in February 2015 at the High Court in Cardiff, triggering her parents to mount a fresh appeal.

The case returned to the Appeal Court on Tuesday this week (Apr 26) as Mr and Mrs Davies’ legal team launched their attack on the judge’s findings.

The couple’s QC, Simon Fancourt, claimed the £1.3 million pay-out would be “hugely disproportionate to any detriment Eirian incurred in reliance on representations that were made”.

The “representations and assurances” given by her parents were “general and non-specific” in the early days, said the barrister, including such sentiments as, “it’ll all be yours one day” and “don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg”.

He said Judge Jarman had found that the first time the couple made any substantial “explicit representation” about inheritance was in 2009 when Miss Davies was shown a draft of their wills, bequeathing the farm to her.

Mr Fancourt said that Judge Jarman unfairly “worked on the basis that there was an expectation of inheriting the whole lot”.

“He gave too much weight to the expectations,” said the barrister.

Lord Justice Patten, Lord Justice Underhill and Lord Justice Lewison, who are hearing the case at London’s Appeal Court, are expected to reserve their judgment to a later date.

News

Large fire breaks out at Impala Terminal in Milford Haven

Published

17 minutes ago

July 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Black smoke seen for miles as emergency services respond to incident at former Puma Energy site

A LARGE fire has broken out at the Impala Terminal in Milford Haven this evening, sending a thick plume of black smoke high above the town and across the Haven waterway.

Multiple fire appliances have been seen heading to the site, with police closing roads in the immediate area while emergency services deal with the incident.

The Herald understands that the fire started in the area of Tank 10, at the rear of the facility, where demolition work was being carried out.

Sources have told The Herald that the tank was in the process of being dismantled and that cutting gear was being used at the time. The tank is understood to have been empty, but there may have been oil residue or sludge beneath or within the structure.

This has not yet been officially confirmed by the fire service, police, or the site operator, and the exact cause of the fire remains unconfirmed.

Pictures and video from the scene show a large column of black smoke rising from the industrial site, visible from Milford Haven, Neyland, Pembroke Dock and other areas around the Haven.

***The fire started in a fuel tank that was in the process of being demolished (Pic: Helen Lindley)***

Members of the public are being urged to avoid the area and allow emergency services to work. As a precaution, anyone living nearby should keep windows and doors closed until further guidance is issued.

The site, still widely known locally as Puma Energy, is now operated as the Impala Terminal. It occupies part of the former Milford Haven oil refinery, which ceased refining operations before the site was converted into a fuel storage and distribution terminal.

The terminal has long been associated with the import, storage and distribution of petroleum products, with a large number of tanks, pipeline systems and jetty infrastructure forming part of the wider Milford Haven energy complex.

***The fire could be seen for miles around (Pic: Nic Taylor)***

Milford Haven remains one of the UK’s most important energy ports, with oil, gas and fuel infrastructure playing a major role in the local economy for decades.

The Herald has contacted the emergency services and site operators for an official update.

More to follow.

Community

Mid and West Wales fire service helps deliver life-saving aid to Ukraine

Published

2 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Tom Sinclair

MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE has helped deliver a major convoy of firefighting vehicles and equipment to Ukraine, four years on from the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

The latest convoy, the ninth of its kind, left the UK on Monday, 29 June and reached the Polish border with Ukraine on Thursday, 2 July, where vehicles and equipment were handed over to Ukrainian partners.

The operation was sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and FIRE AID, and delivered through a national partnership involving National Resilience, the National Fire Chiefs Council, UK International Search and Rescue, and fire and rescue services from across England and Wales.

The convoy delivered 21 fire vehicles, including 17 fire engines, as well as more than 2,300 pieces of essential firefighting equipment. The donations will help replace critical resources lost during the war.

Since 2022, the UK fire and rescue community has donated 169 vehicles and more than 220,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was represented on the convoy by Watch Manager Robert Kershaw.

He said: “I am incredibly proud of our Service’s commitment to supporting the charity and helping get vital aid to Ukraine.

“This mission holds a very special place in my heart, as my family hosted a Ukrainian family for a year, who we now consider our own.

“Knowing the impact of this conflict first-hand makes me even more grateful to work alongside colleagues who are dedicated to helping Ukrainian emergency services protect lives.”

Previous donations from UK fire and rescue services are already making a significant difference on the ground. Vehicles delivered through earlier convoys have responded to more than 6,000 incidents, while more than 2,500 Ukrainian firefighters have been equipped with fully operational PPE and breathing apparatus.

Ukrainian fire and rescue services continue to face severe pressure. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, 481 fire stations have been destroyed, with a further 106 in occupied territories. A total of 1,792 fire vehicles have also been lost.

Since the full-scale invasion began, 122 firefighters have been killed and 629 injured, with three still in captivity. The figures were correct as of 22 June 2026.

Despite these losses, Ukrainian firefighters continue to work on the frontline, saving lives, protecting infrastructure and responding to emergencies while under constant threat.

Around 80 volunteers from across the UK fire and rescue community took part in the convoy, giving their time to prepare, drive and deliver the appliances and equipment.

Fire and rescue services involved included Derbyshire, Essex, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Kent, Lancashire, London, Merseyside, Mid and West Wales, North Wales, North Yorkshire, South Wales, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Surrey, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

National Fire Chiefs Council Chair Phil Garrigan said: “The UK Fire and Rescue community remains unwavering in its support for colleagues in Ukraine.

“Four years on from the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian firefighters continue to operate in the most challenging and dangerous conditions imaginable.

“This ninth convoy demonstrates the enduring commitment of UK fire and rescue services to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian counterparts.

“The equipment being donated will help replace vital resources lost during the conflict and ensure firefighters can continue their life-saving work.

“This is about firefighters supporting firefighters. It is a powerful example of friendship that transcends borders.

“It is crucial we recognise the challenges our colleagues face and that we continue to play our part.”

FIRE AID Ukraine Lead Oksana Romanukha said: “We are once again seeing the extraordinary solidarity of communities right across the UK with Ukraine.

“These vehicles and equipment are lifelines, helping to save lives, protect firefighters and strengthen the resilience of communities under constant threat.

“We are deeply grateful to everyone across the fire and rescue community, and all those involved, who have made this collective effort possible.”

Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy Samantha Dixon said: “Ukraine has faced unimaginable suffering, and we remain unwavering in our support.

“This convoy will deliver the critical equipment needed to help Ukraine’s Fire Service save lives, respond to attacks and protect their communities.

“I’m proud of the brave volunteers from across our Fire and Rescue Service, as well as all the organisations which have played a role in mobilising these vital assets, making sure support reaches those who need it most.”

Crime

Carmarthenshire man admits ABH, affray and damage to police vehicle

Published

2 hours ago

July 6, 2026

Court Reporter

A CARMARTHENSHIRE man has been remanded in custody after admitting a series of offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray, and criminal damage to a Dyfed-Powys Police vehicle.

Justin Thomas, 33, of no fixed abode, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 6.

Thomas admitted assaulting Kayleigh Marshall in Llanelli on June 27, 2025, causing her actual bodily harm.

He also admitted criminal damage following an incident in Llanelli on June 7, 2026, when a police vehicle belonging to Dyfed-Powys Police was damaged.

On the same date, Thomas was further charged with affray, after using or threatening unlawful violence towards others in conduct which would have caused a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for their safety.

He also admitted damaging a window and property fixtures belonging to Phillip’s Lane Ltd.

Magistrates committed Thomas to Swansea Crown Court for sentence, ruling that their sentencing powers were insufficient.

He was remanded in custody ahead of his next hearing, which is due to take place at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, July 27.

Court records state that bail was refused due to the nature and seriousness of the offences, his previous record and character, and concerns that he was likely to offend.

The court also noted that Thomas was subject to a conditional discharge for assaulting a police constable at the time the latest offences were committed.