News

Swan killer sentenced for ‘disgusting’ act

Published

9 years ago

March 28, 2017

Tom Sinclair

Swans: The family in Withybush Woods (pic. The Herald)

A 19-YEAR-OLD man who killed a family of swans at Withybush Woods in Haverfordwest with three other people appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court today (Mar 28).

Joseph Lawson, who now lives in Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to possessing an air weapon in a public place, possessing 0.9 grams of cannabis and jointly killing swans.

Lawson had also failed to attend the previous hearing relating to the death of the swans, and was charged with failing to appear at court.

Prosecutor, Vaughan Pritchard-Jones said: “This case has attracted public and press attention. A family of swans were shot and suspicion fell on three men and one youth.

“Enquiries were made, and police spoke to a lady who live in the same block of flats as Lawson. He turned up and asked her to hide his air rifle and said the police were after him.”

The court heard that the lady in question was very unwell, and agreed to hide the rifle.

He continued: “He turned up the next day to collect it, and she overheard that he wanted to get rid of the gun because he didn’t want the police to match the pellets with it. He asked her to give him an alibi. However, she told the police and he was arrested with three others.

“This was a joint enterprise, and they are all equally responsible. One adult pleaded not guilty, the youth was given a referral order and the other adult, Phillips, was given a four month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months.”
He told the court that in total, four people went out shooting, and Lawson believed that Mattson, who has pleaded not guilty, had permission to shoot on private land.

Mr Pritchard-Jones said that Lawson claims he has suffered from a lack of sleep since the incident.
He said: “His intentions were to get a rabbit or a duck to eat. They started to try and find them, but found none.”

In his statement, Lawson said: “I had the gun. I am not from here, and I don’t know the area very well. We went to the woods and saw a pond but there were no ducks.”

He explained that there was a conversation about shooting ducks, to which the youth said would be ‘funny as f**k’.

He said: “I am easily led, and I shot the swan. As soon as I did it I put my head down in disgrace. I could not believe what I had done.”

He said in his statement, that he told the group that they needed to kill the swan to put it out of its misery, to which his co-defendant, Benjamin Phillips, said ‘It’s f***ing evil leaving it like that’.

He added: “It’s the lowest thing you can do, like. I’ve been feeling very low and have thought about suicide. I get help by phoning my mum.”

Mr Pritchard-Jones explained that four swans were injured in total. The wing of a cygnet had been ‘completely severed’, and was alive when it was recovered, but had to be put down by a vet.

The male swan was found dead with two pellets in its body: One in its wing, and another in its abdomen. Another cygnet also had tearing injuries, which implied that a pellet had passed through it.

Probation officer, Julie Norman, said: “This is a very unpleasant case. He bought the rifle a few days before, and the plan was to go out shooting ducks.

“It was around 8pm so would have been pitch black. He said there was peer pressure on him, and he made one shot, and the others took the rest.”

She continued: “He has mental health issues. Alongside that, he has chronic substance misuse and self harms. He has scars on his arms, and he self harmed yesterday (Mar 27) in police custody.”

Defence solicitor, David Williams, said: “I wish to express on his behalf his sincerest apologies and deep remorse of becoming involved in this incident.

“He is a young man and has never been to prison before. He has significant mental health problems. He has struggled with his mental health from the age of 8-years-old. His recent self harm was when he handed himself in yesterday.”

Mr Williams also explained that Lawson has psychosis and borderling split personality disorder.

Lawson told the court: “I am very sorry for my actions and what I have done.”

Chair of the bench, Cllr David Simpson, told Lawson: “We think that what you have done is disgusting. If you have read the local paper, you will have seen the anger and venom produced from this. People have been disgusted.”

Lawson was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months. He must also pay £115 victim surcharge, £85 prosecution costs and £60 towards veterinary costs.

Crime

Tenby man due in court charged with rape and sexual assault

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

Court Reporter

A TENBY man is due to appear before the court on Tuesday (Mar 3) charged with rape and sexual assault following an alleged incident last year.

Wayne Allen, aged 57, of St Julians Street, Tenby, is listed for a first hearing at 2:00pm.

He faces one count of rape, contrary to Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, relating to an allegation that on May 20, 2024, he intentionally penetrated a woman without her consent and without a reasonable belief that she was consenting.

Allen is also charged with sexual assault, contrary to Section 3 of the same Act, relating to alleged sexual touching of a woman between May 19 and May 20, 2024.

Rape is an indictable-only offence, meaning the case can only be dealt with at Crown Court, so the case will be sent up.

The Herald will report the outcome after the hearing.

Community

Martyn Butler dies aged 71 months after Haverfordwest visit

Published

1 hour ago

March 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Co-founder of Terrence Higgins Trust attended local plaque unveiling honouring friend Terry Higgins

A LEADING figure in the UK’s response to the HIV/AIDS crisis has died aged 71 — just months after attending a plaque unveiling ceremony in Haverfordwest honouring his close friend Terry Higgins.

Martyn Butler, who helped establish the Terrence Higgins Trust in 1982 following Higgins’ death from an AIDS-related illness, died on Friday (Feb 21). He had remained active in awareness work for more than four decades and was widely recognised for his contribution to public health campaigning.

The Terrence Higgins Trust confirmed his death, paying tribute to his lifelong commitment to supporting people living with HIV and improving sexual health education across the UK.

Butler’s connection to Pembrokeshire was particularly strong. Terry Higgins, after whom the charity is named, grew up in Haverfordwest and attended Tasker Milward School. Higgins is widely recognised as one of the first people in the UK known to have died from AIDS-related complications in 1982.

Last year, Butler travelled to Haverfordwest to attend the unveiling of a blue plaque commemorating Higgins’ life. The ceremony marked an important moment in recognising both Higgins’ story and the wider history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which claimed thousands of lives in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s.

Friends and colleagues described Butler as a tireless advocate who helped shape the national response to the emerging AIDS crisis at a time when fear, stigma and misinformation were widespread.

In the early days of the epidemic, Butler famously used his own home telephone number as part of one of the UK’s first AIDS helplines, offering advice and support to people who had nowhere else to turn.

Over the decades that followed, the Terrence Higgins Trust grew into the country’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, providing testing services, education programmes, support networks and national campaigning.

Butler was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2022 in recognition of his services to people affected by HIV.

Tributes have been paid from across the UK health and charity sectors, with colleagues describing him as compassionate, determined and instrumental in changing public attitudes towards HIV.

His death comes at a time when medical advances mean people living with HIV can now expect near-normal life expectancy with treatment — a transformation many campaigners say would not have been possible without the groundwork laid by early activists such as Butler.

Local figures who met him during the Haverfordwest plaque unveiling said he remained passionate about ensuring the stories of those affected by HIV — including Terry Higgins — were remembered by future generations.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been publicly announced.

Image:

Martyn Butler at the Terry Higgins plaque unveiling in Haverfordwest (Pic: Martin Cavaney).

Education

School in lockdown after reported phone threat

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Tom Sinclair

DYFED POWYS POLICE are dealing with an incident at a secondary school after a threat was reportedly made by telephone.

Officers were called to Maesydderwen Comprehensive School in Ystradgynlais on Monday (Mar 2), where the school implemented its lockdown procedure as a precaution to prioritise safety.

A police spokesperson said officers are working with the school following the report and parents have been informed through the school messaging app.

Police confirmed there are no reports of anyone injured and that all pupils and staff on site are safe and secure.

Officers remain at the scene and further information will be shared when available.