News

Struck-off solicitor’s eviction threat

Published

7 years ago

March 17, 2017

Stressful times: Sheila Hill, 82, runs the pub with her family

A LOCAL solicitor who was jailed for using money from dead client’s estate to fraudulently finance his property company is back on the scene, acting as an ‘agent’ to try and bully an elderly pub landlady into leaving her Milford Haven premises.

Sheila Hill, 82, who as invested her life savings into the renovation of The Sir Charles Whetham, said that she has been so stressed by the experience of dealing with Simon Griffiths, she has been rushed to hospital because of an uncontrollable nose bleed and has had to ask her daughter to get the police to get the bankrupt lawyer off her back.

Disgraced Griffiths was hauled before the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal in 2015 after concerns were raised about his practise, Eaves Solicitors, which was based on Milford Haven Marina.

He faced a number of allegations, including failing to fulfil and undertaking and misleading another firm of solicitors, which were found proved.

But now he is back working as an ‘agent’ and ‘legal advisor’ for owners of The Sir Charles Whetham, Jac Worley and Keith May. May has confirmed this to The Herald on the telephone.

In December 15, 2015, Sheila Hill, and daughter and son-in-law Jayne and Roy Driscoll, originally from Saundersfoot sold their family home with the intention of taking over and eventually purchasing the Murray Road pub.

A COMMUNITY PUB

Locals have testified to the fact that the property has improved from being a troubled establishment known for cheap booze and drugs, to a well run establishment with excellent food, and a proper family-friendly, family-run venue.

However the family’s dream has become a nightmare following the intervention of dodgy ex-solicitor Griffiths who according to Sheila’s daughter Jayne, used legal speak to trick the family to sign a ‘Tenancy at Will’, effectively giving them no security of tenure in the premises, allowing the owners to kick them out at the drop of a hat.

Jayne told The Herald: “Ever since day one, we have been trying to get a proper lease sorted with owners Keith and Jack. We have spent a lot of money on solicitor’s fees but so far, despite ten revisions of the proposed lease, it has all come to nothing. In my view the owners have purposely stalled on getting the lease signed and procrastinated over the sale of the property to us. We are now left in limbo, and the future of Pill’s community pub is at risk.”

She added: “On Tuesday night (Mar 14) I received a text message from Simon Griffiths. It said: “I refer to my telephone call at 9.12pm. Your tenancy at will has now come to an end and we need to speak to you to make arrangements for you to leave the Sir Charles Whetham.”

Jayne said: “My mum and I nearly passed out. It’s just one thing after another. But now I have found out that Simon Griffiths is a struck off solicitor and former convict, I have my doubts if the tenancy at will is legally enforceable.”

The Herald spoke to Keith May by telephone and asked about Simon Griffith’s role. He said to us: “Simon Griffiths was our solicitor before he got struck off, we have known him for a long time, and it was a bit of a shock to us all when he got closed down. We are all aware that he is no longer a solicitor, but he is helping us out with legal bits. As our legal advisor, at the present time he is focussed on trying to get the money owed to us by the current tenants of The Whetham.”

VAT CHARGED WRONGLY

But further investigation by The Herald has shown that invoices sent by Simon Griffiths to the family for rent are not lawful. On close inspection, invoices Griffiths sent did not contain ‘a unique invoice number that follows on from the last invoice’, which, according to HMRC, invalidates the invoices.

This newspaper has also been given sight of correspondence from HMRC which shows that, at least in June 2016, VAT on the rent for the pub was not chargeable, meaning that the family have been paying more than they owed – not less.

Despite the text from Griffiths asking the family to leave the pub comments from co-owner Keith May seem to be at odds with current events. He told The Herald: “Roy and Jayne are doing a fantastic job and it would be a shame to lose them. Roy is a professionally trained chef having worked before at Cheltenham race course that is why the food is so good.”

He cheerfully added: “I am happy for them to continue there as long as we can sort stuff out. The rent is only £250 a week including accommodation and they have their whole family living there.”

WE’LL DOUBLE CHECK TAX

Jac Worley told The Herald yesterday: “If there has been a genuine error with charging VAT on the rent then we are more than happy to knock that off the outstanding rent. Unfortunately, no rent has been paid since November and that is the key issue for me here.

“I was willing to sell the pub as long as a deposit was paid, but after a year of waiting we were yet to receive a deposit.”

On questioning why there were no invoice numbers on the rent bills Mr Worley added: “This was a genuine mistake which we will correct.”

“We will contact HMRC to clarify if we need to charge VAT on the rent or not.

Jac Worley denied he had been receiving legal advice from the struck off solicitor.

After speaking to The Herald, Mr Worley said that he did want the family to stay at the pub and the matter to be resolved amicably, potentially safeguarding an important community venue.

We put this story to Simon Griffiths but there was no response from him at the time of going to print.

Business

Expansion for Ashmole & Co with acquisition of Jones Ward Accountants

Published

11 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CHARTERED, Certified Accountants, Ashmole & Co, are delighted to announce their expansion following the acquisition of JonesWard accountancy firm in Carmarthen.

Ashmole & Co Carmarthen has today taken over JonesWard who have closed their office in Lammas Street, Carmarthen. All JonesWard staff, including Ian Jones and James Ward, have transferred over to Ashmole & Co and will be based in the Old School, the Quay, Carmarthen.

JonesWard informed their clients that the administrative burden of running a practice had increased significantly over recent years due to the constant changing money laundering and tax regulations, software requirements and so on. Over the past 12 months it had become more challenging to maintain the level of service they had been used to providing.

Ian Jones said, “We feel Ashmole & Co share the same values as us and have the necessary expertise and resources to ensure we can continue to provide the personal touch and level of service clients have been accustomed to. Myself and James are not retiring but we will be supported by Ashmole & Co’s partners and staff from now on in their Carmarthen office.”

Ashmole & Co partners Sharon George, Carwyn Morgan and Vinal Patel will strive to ensure JonesWard clients will continue to receive the high quality of service they are used to.

Vinal Patel, Partner with Ashmole & Co said, “It is our priority to make the transition as smooth as possible with all employees of JonesWard having already transferred to Ashmole & Co and are now based in our office on the Quay in Carmarthen. We look forward to meeting our new clients and working closely with them to meet their needs in the future.”

Ashmole & Co Chartered and Certified Accountants have been established since 1897 and are one of the largest accountancies and auditing practices in south Wales, now operating from thirteen offices throughout south and west Wales including Swansea, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Ammanford.

Charity

Fundraiser to take on epic 87k steps challenge to raise funds for Withybush

Published

11 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SAM Faulkner is challenging himself to walk 87,000 steps in one day to raise funds for the Cardiac Care Unit at Withybush Hospital in memory of his father.

Sam will be walking along the Brecon and Monmouth Canal from Brecon to Rogerstone in Newport.

Sam said: “Since losing my Dad last year, I made a personal commitment to do something to raise money every year for the Cardiac Care Unit at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest who looked after my Dad so well in his final days.

“I will be challenging myself to complete 87,000 steps in a day on July 20th 2024 – 1,000 steps for every year of my Dad’s life. I’ll be walking around 40 miles in about 10 hours.

“Canal walks were always a firm favourite of mine and my Dad’s, with many days spent walking along the Grand Union in Northamptonshire when I was growing up.

“My family and I, and the unit at the hospital, would be beyond grateful for anything supporters could give. Thank you ever so much in advance.”

Katie Hancock, Pembrokeshire Fundraising Officer, said: “We’d like to say a huge good luck to Sam with his challenge. Thank you so much for dedicating your time to raise more funds for the Cardiac Care Unit.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

You can donate to Sam’s fundraiser here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/sam-faulkner-1712508280259?newPage=true&fbclid=IwAR2tyVVQVea0DLQelSsrp7Ie2CKjX0jXGnwndR_tBKL-Av2kv8f5nchEolw

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk

Business

Dragon LNG explores integration of LNG and CO2 liquefaction processes

Published

11 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

DRAGON LNG, based in Waterston, Milford Haven, recently announced a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions.

The company awarded a contract to Worley, global professional services company of energy, chemicals and resources experts, to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study.

The study is focussing on exploring the potential benefits of integrating LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas)
regasification and CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) liquefaction processes at Dragon LNG’s facilities. This integration holds promise for a more efficient operation, with the potential to reduce energy consumption, carbon intensity and the levelized cost of CO2 export not only at the Dragon site but also for Haven industry companies.

If feasible, the technology at Dragon would support wider collaboration with RWE Pembroke Net Zero Centre, whose CO2 would be transported to the Dragon facility for processing before being shipped via non-pipeline transport (NPT) to carbon sequestration sites.

Key aspects to be addressed in the feasibility study include:

Technical Solutions: Worley will evaluate various technical approaches to seamlessly integrate LNG and
CO2 liquefaction processes, ensuring optimal energy efficiency and effectiveness.
Carbon Intensity Reduction: Dragon LNG is committed to sustainability, and the study will assess how the integration of processes can contribute to lowering the carbon intensity of operations, aligning with broader environmental goals.
Economic Viability: Understanding the financial implications is crucial. The study will delve into the levelized cost of CO2 and other economic factors to determine the feasibility and financial benefits of the proposed integration.

Commenting on the partnership, a spokesperson for Dragon LNG stated, “We are excited to collaborate with Worley on this important initiative. As a responsible energy provider, Dragon LNG is continuously seeking innovative ways to enhance our operations while minimizing our environmental footprint. This feasibility study represents a significant step towards achieving those objectives.”

Worley’s expertise in engineering and consultancy services including in the CO2 and LNG sectors makes them an ideal partner for this endeavour. Their track record of delivering sustainability solutions aligns perfectly with the ambitious goals of Dragon LNG.

This collaboration underscores Dragon LNG’s commitment to driving sustainable practices within the energy sector. By exploring the integration of LNG regasification and CO2 liquefaction processes, the company aims to pave the way for a cleaner, more efficient energy future with their ambition of a net zero terminal by 2029.