News

‘Cinderella’ daughter wins share of £7m estate

Published

12 years ago

May 23, 2014

A CINDERELLA farmer’s daughter who says she was left at home ‘with a muck fork’ whilst her teenage sisters went dancing has triumphed in her fight for a fair share of her elderly parents’ £7 million estate.

Eirian Davies, aged 45, was repeatedly assured by her parents, Tegwyn and Mary Davies, now in their 70s, that she would ultimately step into their shoes and take over the family’s ‘golden egg’ – thriving Henllan Farm, Whitland, and its herd of pedigree Holstein cows.

And three Appeal Court judges on Wednesday ruled that a stake in the thriving 182-acre farm was no more than her due for the years of low-paid toil she put in.

The family war had culminated in a “physical altercation” in the milking parlour, during which milk was thrown over Miss Davies by her mother, and she and her father ended up entangled on the floor where she bit her father’s leg.

Miss Davies had testified that she missed out on going to Young Farmers’ Club dances with her two sisters as a teenager because she had to stay at home to deal with her farming chores.

“They always told me that the farm would be left to me. Even on my birthday, when the other girls were having things, they would say – ‘you will have the damn lot one day, it will all be yours’,” she said.

Her father would regularly warn her “not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg” if she complained about her meagre wages, she added.

Until she reached the age of 21, Miss Davies was paid nothing at all for her work on the farm and, after that, there was a period when she was paid just £15-a-day for milking the cows, although sometimes she received more.

She claimed she could have ‘made a better life elsewhere’, but her 75-year-old father and mother, 76, insisted she had earned a fair income during her stints working on the farm, also being provided with free ‘bed and board’ and other benefits.

Describing her as ‘a self-employed herdswoman’, they argued she would have done no better financially had she worked away from the farm.

However, Lord Justice Floyd on Wednesday ruled that measuring Miss Davies’ contribution to the farm was not just ‘an exercise in forensic accounting’ and that her parents should be held to the promises they made to her.

The judge, sitting with Lords Justice Richards and Underhill, said Miss Davies had for years laboured under the impression that she was running the farm in partnership with her parents – however they had never signed the agreement.

In 2009, she was shown a draft will, which left the lion’s share of the farm to her. However, her parents later made changes to their bequests and proposed to place the farm in trust for the benefit of all three sisters equally.

Miss Davies had a ‘passionate interest in pedigree milking cows’ and, by 1989 when she turned 21, she was the only sister left at the farm, ‘her sisters having departed to follow other paths’, the judge said.

And, when she left the farm to work elsewhere for a while, her father begged her to return.

The milking parlour fracas in August 2012 was the final straw that broke the family asunder and her parents launched proceedings to evict Miss Davies from Henllan farmhouse, where she still lives.

However, at an earlier court hearing, Judge Milwyn Jarman QC ruled that Miss Davies had relied on her parents’ promises and thrown herself into working on the farm for low wages. She was thus entitled to a ‘beneficial interest’ in the business.

Dismissing the couple’s appeal against that ruling, Lord Justice Floyd said Miss Davies had received ‘less than full recompense’ for her contribution to the farm which could not be measured in purely financial terms.

The appeal judge concluded: “This is in many ways a tragic case.

“The bitterness between the parties was such that each had few, if any, good words to say about the other.

“The fact remained, however, that between them they had over the years built up, by hard work, great skill and passionate dedication a prodigious Holstein pedigree milking herd and a highly successful business.

“It is greatly to be hoped that they might now be able to resolve such remaining differences as they have in relation to Eirian’s entitlement without recourse to further costly and divisive litigation”.

Judge Milwyn Jarman told the earlier county court hearing that the bitter relations between Eirian Davies and her parents came to a head after she discovered their plans to split the farm equally between the three sisters.

“After one such argument with her father in February 2010, she went to the barn and put a rope from a beam around her neck,” said the judge, adding that, by good fortune, a farm worker saw what was happening and intervened.

Although there was evidence that her parents had “pinned their hopes” on Eirian over the years, they had become increasingly annoyed by her relationships with men following her divorce.

The judge said part of this concern was – not so much the men involved – but “any children that they had and how that may impact upon their duties to keep the business in the family”.

“Her mother referred to a string of men, to whom she referred as ‘wretches’, with kids behind them,” said the judge.

Family relations hit rock bottom in August 2012 during a “physical altercation” between Eirian and her parents in the milking parlour.

“Accounts differ about that altercation, but at some point milk was thrown over Eirian by her mother and she and her father ended up entangled on the floor where Eirian bit her father’s leg”, the judge said.

“Eirian received from her parents the next day a notice terminating her services, and two weeks later a notice to quit the farmhouse requiring vacant possession by October 31 2012”.

Despite the intense friction in the family, the judge said it was to their credit that Eirian and her parents had over the years “by hard work, great skill and passionate dedication built up a prodigious Holstein pedigree milking herd and a highly successful business”.

He described Eirian as having a “passionate interest in pedigree milking cows”, also referring to her evidence that she was consistently promised that the farm would one day be her’s.

“Eirian says that she first heard that ‘it will all be your’s one day’ when she was still at secondary school, for example when her mother took her sisters shopping and she was left at home, as she put it, ‘with a muck fork’.

“She says she regularly missed school and that her sisters were not interested in farming at all.

“She claims to have heard the same thing regularly thereafter from both parents, whenever she asked for money. She was told: “don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg'”.

A “major factor” in the family’s difficult relationship was the “strong personalities of both mother and daughter”, he noted, as well as Eirian’s frustration at her role in the farming business not being formalised.

News

Wife and lover jailed for plot to murder husband to continue affair

Published

1 minute ago

December 19, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A WOMAN and her lover have been jailed after conspiring to murder her husband of ten years so they could continue their affair.

Michelle Mills and Geraint Berry, both aged 46, were each sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment at Swansea Crown Court after a jury found them guilty of plotting to kill Christopher Mills in a plan intended to make his death appear as a suicide.

The conspiracy was uncovered after Mr Mills, 55, an ex-serviceman, fought back during a late-night ambush at a caravan the couple were staying in at Cenarth, Carmarthenshire, on Friday, September 20, 2024.

Berry, assisted by Steven Thomas, forced entry into the caravan armed with imitation firearms, gas masks and cable ties. A pre-prepared suicide note falsely purporting to have been written by Mr Mills was later recovered by police.

The attack failed when Mr Mills defended himself, managing to disarm the intruders and forcing them to flee on foot.

Armed response officers, police dog units and the National Police Air Service were deployed. Berry and Thomas were arrested shortly afterwards after being spotted hiding in bushes by a police helicopter.

***Geraint Berry, during his arrest – from police video***

The incident was initially reported to Dyfed-Powys Police by Michelle Mills, who claimed to be unaware of any motive for her husband to be targeted. At first, officers treated the matter as an aggravated burglary.

However, detectives quickly became suspicious.

Detective Inspector Sam Gregory, of Ceredigion CID said: “We had a report of two masked men attempting to gain access to a caravan and assaulting the owner. On the surface, it appeared the case would be fairly straightforward.

“However, when Berry and Thomas were searched, officers found gas masks, imitation firearms and, most disturbingly, a typed suicide note said to have been written by Christopher Mills.”

The investigation was escalated to CID, where digital forensic enquiries uncovered extensive communication between Mrs Mills and Berry revealing a long-running affair and detailed plans to murder her husband.

Messages exchanged from August 2024 onwards showed the pair discussing multiple methods of killing Mr Mills, including suffocating him while he slept, overdosing him on sleeping tablets, poisoning his food with antifreeze or foxglove, and staging an explosion in his car.

Berry also contacted an associate asking how to obtain a firearm with a suppressor and how to make a vehicle explode when the ignition was started.

The court heard there were two aborted attempts to ambush Mr Mills at the caravan on August 28 and 29, with Berry injuring his knee during one failed attempt.

On the third attempt, Mrs Mills told Berry she would encourage her husband to drink alcohol so he would fall asleep. Messages showed Berry informing her he had arrived at the holiday park moments before the attackers burst into the caravan.

Immediately after the men fled, Mrs Mills sent Berry messages urging him to escape, delete communications and expressing affection, despite her husband having just been assaulted.

Mrs Mills was later arrested at her home in Maes Ty Gwyn, Llwynhendy. Despite denying involvement, she told an arresting officer she would be “going to jail for this”.

DI Gregory said: “From start to finish, Mrs Mills denied any involvement. She initially claimed she did not know the attackers, and later said she believed the messages were just fantasy.

“At no point did she attempt to stop Berry or tell him she did not want the plans to go ahead. Her only concern was not getting caught.”

Sentencing the pair, Mr Justice Nicklin said the plot involved “significant planning and premeditation”, despite being “poorly executed”, and placed Mr Mills’ life at genuine risk.

The court heard victim impact evidence describing how the attack had “pretty much ruined” Mr Mills’ life, leaving him suffering flashbacks and long-term psychological harm.

Mrs Mills was also sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for perverting the course of justice, to be served concurrently with her 19-year sentence. Berry received a concurrent 18-month sentence for possession of an imitation firearm.

Steven Thomas, aged 47, of Clos Coffa, Clydach, was found not guilty of conspiracy to murder but had previously admitted possessing a firearm with intent to cause Christopher Mills to believe unlawful violence would be used against him. He was sentenced to 12 months in custody, with time already served on remand taken into account.

The judge said there had been an element of coercion or exploitation by Berry in relation to Thomas, who expressed remorse for his actions.

DI Gregory added: “It is easy to focus on the dramatic details of this case and forget there is a real victim. Mr Mills’ life was genuinely at risk, and the person he should have been able to trust the most was behind the plot.

“He has shown remarkable strength and courage throughout this investigation, and I hope he can now move forward and begin to process what he has endured.

“Despite their claims that this was fantasy, the evidence showed the conspiracy was real, calculated and repeated. Mills and Berry showed no remorse for the devastation they caused.”

Crime

Milford Haven man denies child sex charges as trial date set

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

A MAN originally from Milford Haven has pleaded not guilty to a series of sexual offences involving a child after recently moving to Cornwall.

James Kershaw, aged 45, formerly of Milford Haven and now living in Quethiock, Cornwall, appeared in court on Friday (Dec 19), where he denied all four sexual charges put to him.

The hearing was his first Crown Court appearance in the case, during which a trial date was fixed for October 5.

Kershaw was allowed to remain on bail under strict conditions, including that he must have no contact with any prosecution witnesses.

Kershaw appeared via video link from his solicitor’s office in Cornwall. The judge described this as “a very generous decision by the listings officer” and said it had “presumably been arranged due to the distance from you to the court”.

Allegations denied

The charges relate to alleged incidents said to have taken place in Liskeard, Cornwall, between October 26 and November 1, 2023.

Kershaw is accused of engaging in sexual communication with a child under the age of 16 and of causing a child aged 13 to watch sexual activity. He also faces two allegations of causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to engage in sexual activity of a non-penetrative nature on separate dates.

In addition, Kershaw is charged with two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed by Derby Crown Court in May 2022. These allegations include the use of an undisclosed Facebook account and the deletion of messages, both of which are said to be prohibited under the terms of that order.

Kershaw denies all allegations.

The court ordered that Kershaw may remain on bail pending trial, subject to conditions including a strict ban on contacting any witnesses.

The complainant’s identity is protected by law under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.

The case is due to return to court when the trial begins in October.

Community

Craig Flannery appointed as new Chief Fire Officer

Published

12 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MID AND WEST WALES FIRE SERVICE LEADERSHIP CHANGE

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has announced the appointment of Craig Flannery as its new Chief Fire Officer, with effect from Monday, December 15, 2025.

Mr Flannery has served with the Service for more than twenty years, progressing through a wide range of middle management and senior leadership roles across both operational and non-operational departments.

During his career, he has been closely involved in strengthening operational delivery, risk management and organisational development. His work has included leading innovation in learning and development, overseeing the Service’s On-Call Improvement Programme, and driving investment in key enabling functions such as workforce development and information and communication technology.

The appointment followed a rigorous, multi-stage recruitment process led by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority. Candidates were assessed through structured interviews, strategic leadership exercises and scenario-based assessments designed to test operational judgement, organisational vision and the ability to lead a modern fire and rescue service.

External professional assessors were also engaged to provide independent scrutiny, ensuring the process met high standards of fairness, transparency and challenge.

Mr Flannery emerged as the strongest candidate, demonstrating clear strategic leadership capability, detailed organisational knowledge and a strong commitment to community safety and service improvement.

Councillor John Davies, Chair of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, said: “Craig brings a deep understanding of our Service and a clear vision for its future. His appointment will strengthen our ability to innovate, support our workforce and deliver high-quality protection for the communities we serve.

“As we navigate a rapidly changing landscape, Craig’s experience in driving innovation and organisational development will be invaluable in helping us adapt and transform for the future.”

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Flannery said: “It is a privilege to lead this outstanding Service. I am committed to supporting our people, strengthening partnerships and building on the strong foundations already in place.

“As the challenges facing fire and rescue services continue to evolve, we must modernise and innovate, ensuring we have the skills, technology and capability needed to meet the needs of our communities. I look forward to working with colleagues and partners across Mid and West Wales to deliver a resilient, progressive Service that keeps people safe and places our staff at the heart of everything we do.”