A 23-YEAR-OLD man from Haverfordwest has been formally charged with multiple drug-related offences, including the possession and intent to supply cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis. Owen Maddocks, residing at Hywel Road, will soon make a court appearance at Swansea Crown Court to respond to the charges.

Maddocks stands accused of possessing cocaine with intent to supply on April 5 and similarly for MDMA on June 15 of the previous year. On the same dates, he also allegedly intended to supply cannabis, leading to additional charges.

Furthermore, the allegations against Maddocks include the possession of criminal property, specifically £4,905 in cash, which was seized on June 15.

After appearing at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on May 3, Maddocks was granted bail. He is scheduled to appear at Swansea Crown Court on May 10, where he will enter his pleas.

POLICE haven confirmed to The Pembrokeshire Herald that a scooter rider was taken to hospital after his Peugeot bike and a Lexus car were involved in a crash.

The collision, on the A4076 at Pope Hill, Johnston, took place last Monday afternoon, May 6.

The road was closed for 75 minutes.

A Dyfed Powys Police spokesperson said that officers attended the two-vehicle incident which took place at around 4.15pm.

They added: “The vehicles involved were a yellow Lexus car and a black Peugeot Vivacity 50 scooter.

“The male rider of the scooter was taken to hospital.

“The road was closed and re-opened at 5.30pm.”

LEADING pregnancy charities have urged the Welsh Government to take stronger measures to enhance maternity and neonatal services, in order to realise the substantial changes necessary to reduce infant mortality. The Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit released a revealing report today, stating that initiatives in Wales are inadequate to instigate the vital transformation required to prevent baby deaths.

The report, titled “Saving Babies’ Lives 2024: Progress Report,” notes that strides toward diminishing stillbirths and neonatal deaths have halted in Wales, mirroring a stagnant situation across the UK. The findings suggest that with improved care, as many as 800 infant lives could have been saved throughout the UK last year. The document emphasises the urgent need for meaningful action to tackle the severe and enduring disparities in baby loss and pregnancy complications across different demographic groups.

Particularly alarming is the continuing disparity in outcomes for infants from varied ethnic backgrounds and socio-economic statuses. The report underscores that the stillbirth rate in Wales has exceeded that of any other UK nation since 2014, with minimal improvement in neonatal mortality rates over the past decade. Unlike England, which aims to halve the rates of stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm birth, maternal death, and brain injury by 2025 relative to 2010, Wales has set no similar goals.

Moreover, the report criticises the Welsh Government for the insufficient number of reviews conducted following infant deaths, which are crucial for understanding potential lessons and providing grieving parents with needed explanations.

Robert Wilson, head of the Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit, commented, “Our report unequivocally shows that the Welsh Government must establish clear targets for reducing pregnancy loss and baby deaths, and for eliminating inequalities. These targets should catalyse a thorough suite of policy measures, adequately supported by necessary funding and resources.”

The report provides specific recommendations to enhance maternity safety in Wales, including the consistent involvement of staff and patients, especially bereaved parents, in assessing the quality of maternity and neonatal services. It also calls for transparent and independently overseen reviews of individual services, and improvements in the completion rate of reviews following a baby’s death.

The Joint Policy Unit is advocating for a unified commitment across all four UK nations to eradicate inequalities in pregnancy and baby loss. Disturbingly, the 2021 data revealed that the rate of stillbirths and neonatal deaths among Black babies was almost double that of White babies, and significantly higher than the overall UK rate. This disparity was similarly stark between the most and least deprived areas in the UK.

The report also highlights that only about 2% of public and charity health research funding has been allocated to reproductive health and childbirth over the last two decades, signalling a need for increased investment in these crucial areas.