News

Farmer loses appeal over suffering to ponies punishment

Published

8 years ago

November 10, 2017

A ST DAVIDS farmer has today (Nov 10) lost an appeal against his sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to five ponies.

Ian Morgan Griffiths, aged 54, had pleaded guilty at Haverfordwest magistrates’ court and had been made the subject of an 18 week jail sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work for the community.

Griffiths, who runs two farms at Berea as well as providing bunks style accommodation for 400 people plus camping and caravan sites, was also banned from keeping horses for five years.

During an appeal hearing at Swansea Crown Court barrister Craig Jones said Griffiths had staged a festival on his land and someone complained about the state of three Shetland ponies and two Welsh Mountain ponies.

The RSPCA were alerted and found that their hooves were seriously overgrown to the extent they could not walk properly if at all.

Mr Jones said the necessary treatment would have cost as little as £15 per pony and there were plenty of people available to carry out the work.

David Williams, representing Griffiths, argued the sentence was unjustly high.

One consequence, he said, was that Dyfed Powys police had withdrawn Griffiths’ shotgun licence because the sentence was over three months long. As a result he could no longer stage clay pigeon shooting events.

He said Griffiths’ wife had died in 2010 and he had found himself looking after three children as well as two farms and extensive accommodation.

Mr Williams said Griffiths was of the ninth generation to farm the land and this had been the first prosecution in the family’s history.

“He’s deeply upset at what has happened. As soon as the entent of the problem was made clear to him he handed the ponies over the RSPCA,” added Mr Williams.

He said Griffiths would be appealing against the withdrawal of his gun licence.

Judge Geraint Walters, sitting with two magistrates, dismissed the appeal.

He said the mitigation available to Griffiths had been reflected in the magistrates’ decision to suspend the prison sentence.

Griffiths, he added, had had the resources to pay for the animals to be looked after properly and it was no excuse that he had been too busy.

Judge Walters said the magistrates had made a mathematical error in that Griffiths had been entitled to a one third discount in return for his early guilty plea. As 26 weeks was the maximum sentence available 18 weeks represented more than two thirds.

Consequently, the 18 weeks suspended sentence was reduced to 16 weeks.

News

Baby in critical condition after Fishguard emergency

Published

24 minutes ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Teenagers arrested as police investigate circumstances

A BABY remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition after being taken from Fishguard by air ambulance following a medical emergency at a property.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers received information that the baby had been taken to hospital in the early evening of Saturday (May 2).

Police were formally informed of the incident at around 10:10pm the same evening.

An investigation into the circumstances is underway.

A man and a woman, both aged eighteen, were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

They have since been released on conditional bail while enquiries continue.

No further details have been released at this stage.

Entertainment

Hubberston Girls exhibition launches new space at Waterfront Gallery

Published

1 hour ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition exploring memories of growing up on a council estate has opened at the Waterfront Gallery in Milford Haven.

Artist Lynn Stuart is launching the gallery’s new exhibition space with her solo show, Hubberston Girls, which runs until Saturday, May 30.

The exhibition features a deeply personal series of works drawn and painted on brown paper. The material was chosen for its connection to everyday memories, including lunch bags and magazines wrapped in paper.

Once oiled, the paper becomes semi-transparent, allowing paint to be applied to the reverse and creating layered, intimate images.

The Waterfront Gallery is extending its opening hours for the exhibition and will be open Monday to Saturday, from 10:30am to 4:00pm.

A private view will be held on Thursday, May 14, from 3:00pm to 6:00pm, and all are welcome.

The gallery is based in the Old Sail Loft on Discovery Quay, Milford Waterfront, Milford Haven. It is one of south west Wales’s leading art galleries, a registered charity, and home to the Wales Contemporary annual competition.

The gallery is run by artist volunteers who exhibit there regularly.

Community

Vintage tractor tour sets off from Pembroke Dock for Ireland

Published

2 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FIFTY-three vintage tractors left Pembroke Dock Ferry Port on Saturday (May 2) as part of a long-running tractor tour to Ireland.

The group boarded the ferry for the latest stage of an exchange which has been running since 2011, when the National Vintage Tractor Run was held in Pembrokeshire.

Organiser Alun Mason said: “The Tour of Ireland has been ongoing since 2011, when the National Vintage Tractor Run was held in Pembrokeshire.

“A large contingent travelled from Ireland and continue to do so every other year, with our visit this weekend and the Irish tractors due to visit in 2027.”

Some of the tractors taking part travelled from as far as Burry Port, Bridgend, Llandrindod Wells, Llandovery and Ceredigion before gathering at the ferry port.

The event brought together vintage tractor enthusiasts from across Wales ahead of the crossing to Ireland.

Pictured are organisers Jo Richards and Alun Mason, and the group waiting to embark at Pembroke Dock Ferry Port.