News

Pembroke: Tragic death for ‘happy and joyful’ young carer

Published

8 years ago

September 29, 2016

luke-dower A FINAL hearing into the death of local teenager, Luke Barzewicz-Dower was held at Milford Haven Town Hall yesterday (Sept 28). A pupil at Bush Hill Comprehensive School, Pembroke, Luke, 15, was confirmed to have tragically taken his own life on May 16, earlier this year.

Described by friends as ‘happy and joyful,’ it was found that Luke, a young carer for his mother, had been suffering from mental health issues following the death of his grandmother in October 2015.

Found to have been self–harming during this period, Luke had attended several appointments with the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

Speaking at the hearing was one of Luke’s closest friends, who had ‘known him since Year Seven’ of secondary school.

“He was my best friend,” the Pembroke School pupil said.

Earlier on in the hearing, it was confirmed that Luke, on the morning leading up to his death, had asked his friend: “When I die will you update my status [on Facebook] to ‘chilling with the Devil’?”

Although Luke then gave his friend the login details to his Facebook, he didn’t take him seriously as Luke later said he was just ‘messing around.’ His friend instead chose to delete the account.

Learning Coach, Helen Griffiths had been among the first to find Luke’s body. She had been teaching in a classroom when she heard ‘screaming in the corridors’, after which she was led to Luke’s body by one of the pupils who had found him.

Having been told to get him down by ambulance services on the phone, she said: “I tried to lift him but realised it wasn’t going to happen.

“We kept trying and trying and trying,” she said.

Despite Luke’s body having been found in a wooded area behind the school premises, knowledge of his death spread quickly amongst staff.

Next to arrive at the scene, Assistant Head Teacher, Mr David Ellis said: “Mr John [another teacher] ran over to Luke and lifted him while I climbed the tree to undo the knot.”

Mr Ellis had been actively involved in the efforts to try and save Luke, participating in CPR until paramedics arrived.

A suicide note was also found, which was confirmed by DC Jason Thomas to be have been written by Luke.

Speaking at the hearing, he later added that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

A statement by one of the pupil’s who found Luke said: “I ran off and collapsed, crying profusely. I couldn’t breath.”

She added: “He used to carry around a thin rope and a knife; the rope was tied in a noose.”

Conducting the hearing, Assistant Coroner, Paul Bennett said in his concluding statements: “It seemed clear that Luke had set out on a course of action that ended in his life being taken.”

Mr Bennett gave reference to the note that Luke had left, along with his request to a friend that his Facebook status be updated in the event of his death. He also added that Luke had expressed ‘suicidal intent’ in the past, and that the death of his grandmother had clearly had ‘a significant effect on his mental wellbeing’.

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

Published

4 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

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’

Published

4 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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

Published

6 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

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.”