News
Operation Phobos: More drug dealers sentenced at Swansea Crown Court
A JUDGE sentencing cocaine suppliers after the biggest drugs operations ever carried out by Dyfed Powys Police has today handed down prison terms totalling 47 years to go with the 36 years passed yesterday.
The hearings at Swansea Crown Court are still only half way through and will not conclude until Friday.
By then 20 people will have been sentenced after Dyfed Powys Police carried out Operation Phobos, which led to a second operation and then a third as detectives discovered the true extent of the drugs dealing.
A Liverpool gang ran £18.5m worth of cocaine into the south Wales valleys, £67,520 of cocaine into Milford Haven and £286,000 of cocaine and cannabis into Scotland
Today, Dane Bush, aged 29, said to be the head of a crime gang in Milford Haven, was jailed for 11 and a half years. Salter was jailed in June.
Andrew Jones, prosecuting, told the court how Bush “spun off” his own conspiracy to spread the cocaine into Pembrokeshire while the rest of the gang concentrated on Swansea and the south Wales valleys.
Judge Paul Thomas told Bush he had been aware of the misery and death that cocaine inflicted on users but had shown no remorse for supplying Salter to enable him to sell the drug around the county.
Michael Sillitoe, aged 29, of Glebe Road, Loughor, was jailed for 11 years, and Donna Kellaway, 36, of Prescelli Road, Penlan, Swansea, received seven years.
Two others at the Liverpool end of the conspiracy were also jailed—Allen Heron, 38, for 10 years and Bradley Carroll, 31, for seven and a half years.
All had admitted or been found guilty after trials of conspiring to supply cocaine between November, 2014, and November, 2015.
Judge Thomas told them they had gone into the scheme “with your eyes wide open” about the vast amounts of money that might be made but also the consequences of being caught.
“You gambled the money you might make against the time you might serve,” he added.
Judge Thomas said all the criminals were at a “far higher level” than just street dealers.
The first four defendants were yesterday jailed for a total of 36 years.
At least four police officers are expected to be commended on Friday for “very impressive, intelligent, carefully directed work.”
Crime
Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property
A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.
Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.
The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.
The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.
The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.
News
Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’
THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”
The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.
Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”
NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.
“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.
“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”
The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”
This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.
Community
Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed
RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.
The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.
Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.
Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.
The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.
With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.
“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”
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