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Violent football player jailed

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A MONKTON SWIFTS football player who attacked an opponent so violently he broke three bones with a single blow to the face has been jailed today.

Jadey Hearn, aged 31, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm to West Dragons player Kern Cunningham during a match in Division Five of the Pembrokeshire Football League on October 17 last year.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that during the game Hearn was verbally aggressive towards other players, even to his own team mates.

About 35 minutes before the assault Mr Cunningham appealed to the referee for a penalty and Hearn called him a “cheating c***.”

Later in the game the two players clashed as Mr Cunningham, a swimming instructor, attacked the Monkton goal but according to the referee only minimal contact had been involved.

But as Mr Cunningham got to his feet Hearn knocked him out.

Hearn left the pitch even before the referee showed him a red card and later that day walked into a police station to admit what he had done.

Mr Cunningham was taken to Withybush hospital and then to a specialist unit at Swansea’s Morriston hospital where doctors diagnosed fractures to his eye socket, right cheek and nose.

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There was a danger, said Mr Jones, that he could have lost his eyesight, although surgeons managed to save it.

Metal plates were used to rebuild the eye socket but Mr Cunningham still suffered the effects six months later.

Mr Jones said Hearn, of Catshole Quarry, Long Mains, Monkton, already had three convictions for violence and a further three cautions.

Hearn’s barrister, Aubrey Sampson, said he had delivered a single blow “in a moment of madness, in the heat of the moment.”

The Judge, Mr Recorder Peter Rouch, said it had been a disgraceful attack committed on a sports field.

Hearn, he added, had not learned anything from his previous convictions for violence.

Hearn, a scaffolder, was jailed for 15 months.

Kern Cunningham told The Herald today: “I am over the moon that justice has been served.”

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Crime

Manslaughter charge following death in Carmarthenshire

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DYFED-POWYS POLICE have confirmed Jason Thomas, 39, from Llanelli, has been charged with manslaughter following an incident on Saturday, March 25.

Police were called to a property in Robinson St, Llanelli to concerns for the welfare of a man.

Liam Rhys Morgan-Whittle, 22, was taken to hospital where he sadly passed away.

Jason Thomas was quickly arrested and later released on conditional bail while the police investigation continued.

He will appear at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Thursday, May 30, it has been confirmed.

Passed away: Liam Rhys Morgan-Whittle
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News

£10,000 legal row over English-only parking charge notice continues

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THE LANGUAGE campaigner Toni Schiavone will appear in court in Aberystwyth for the fourth time on Monday, 13 May over his refusal to pay an English-only parking charge notice, after the parking company One Parking Solution won an appeal to reintroduce the case in January.

This is despite the judge, Gareth Humphreys, warning that the company should carefully consider the value of continuing with a case that has already been “long, beyond unfortunate” and has cost the parking company over £10,000 in legal fees to date.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith have called on the court to rule that English-only parking charge notices are insufficient as ruled by the judge Mervyn Jones-Evans in a recent case in Caernarfon, and on the Welsh Government to legislate to ensure the rights of Welsh speakers in the private sector are respected.

Toni Schiavone received the English-only notice for not paying for parking in a car park in Llangrannog in September 2020.

The original case was thrown out of court in May 2022 because a representative from the parking company was not present, and the second case in August 2023 was also thrown out because the case was presented late and under incorrect rules.

On 26 January this year, One Parking Solution won an appeal enabling them to continue prosecuting Mr Schiavone, after the judge ruled that there were no grounds to throw the first two cases out of court.

Speaking at the hearing in January, Toni Schiavone said he had received a letter with costs of £10,156.70 a the day before from One Parking Solution, and that the company had acted “disrespectfully, unreasonably and vindictively.” According to research by Cymdeithas yr Iaith, translating the notice into Welsh would have cost only £60.

Siân Howys, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Welsh Language Rights Group said:

“It is disappointing that One Parking Solution have decided to resubmit this case, but the real reason Toni must appear in court yet again is because the rights of people who live in Wales to use the Welsh language are not ensured in statute. We have seen other cases of this recently as HSBC and the energy company OVO have weakened or even abolished their Welsh-medium services, without any serious response from our Government.

“We call on our members and supporters to be present on 13 May to support Toni, and to demand that the right to use the Welsh language in all aspects of life is respected through legislation.”

On 30 January, the Welsh Government voted against Heledd Fychan MS’s motion on behalf of Plaid Cymru in the Senedd to set Welsh Language Standards on a statutory basis for institutions in the private sector, such as banks, supermarkets and private car parks.

During the debate, Siân Gwenllian MS referred to Toni Schiavone’s case as an example of the need to legislate to ensure the rights of Welsh speakers. Discussing the parking company, she said:

“Once again, the response is arrogant and insulting.

“Why must Welsh speakers continue to campaign and demand services through the medium of Welsh?

“It is high time that the basic rights of Welsh speakers were respected through statute, and that in all aspects of life.”

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Community

Anzac Day commemoration service held in Milford Haven

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IN a service held on Sunday (Apr 28), the Milford Haven Branch of the Royal British Legion led a poignant commemoration service to mark Anzac Day, honouring the valor and sacrifices of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I.

The service, which took place at 11:00am, on Hamilton Terrace, Milford Haven, witnessed a significant turnout.

Attendees included members of the Australian Signals and Signal Company as well as representatives of Milford Haven Town Council and the Milford Haven Sea Cadets.

The service commenced with a welcome and introduction by Lt Col Warren Coetzer, followed by a rendition of the National Anthems of Australia, New Zealand, and Wales, embodying a spirit of unity and remembrance. The anthems were a moving tribute to the camaraderie and international bonds formed in times of conflict.

ANZAC service: Remembering soldiers who fought bravely (Pic: MHTC)

During the service, the Ode of Remembrance was recited, a profound moment that prompted reflection on the courage and fellowship of the ANZAC forces.

The emblematic Rising Sun Cap Badge and the Union Flag were prominently displayed on the event programme, symbolising the service and sacrifice of those who served under them.

Local dignitaries laid wreaths, and a two-minute silence was observed, offering a chance for personal reflection on the cost of war and the price of peace.

Sea Cadets and member of the public at the service (Pic: MH Sea Cadets)

The commemoration concluded with a prayer for peace, leaving the attendees with a message of hope and a renewed commitment to the values for which the ANZAC soldiers bravely fought.

The service was not just a remembrance of past sacrifices but also a reminder of the enduring spirit of the ANZACs, which continues to inspire and guide future generations.

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