News

Local car dealership fined over £17,000 for selling ‘death traps’

Published

7 years ago

January 30, 2019

A LOCAL car dealer must pay over £17,000 in fines after he sold a car to a 22-year-old man that was described as a ‘death trap’.

William Frederick Howlin of Motec Autos, pleaded guilty to charges of being a trader who engaged in commercial practice which is a misleading action containing false information, producing an unsafe product on the market and fraud by false representation.

Magistrates at Haverfordwest Law Court on Wednesday (Jan 30) heard how William Howlin appeared before the court for offering up for sale ‘dangerous vehicles’, and attempted to ‘limit consumer rights’ when doing so by erecting ‘sold as seen’ signs around the forecourt.

Magistrates were told that in February last year, 22-year-old Glenn Alcock, who looks ‘much younger’ than his age, attended Motec Autos to look at an Audi with his mum. He took the Audi for a test drive and noticed that the engine light was on and there was a knocking sound, but was assured by Howlin that it would be sorted.

Mr Alcock worked as IT Technician at this newspaper until last year.

22-year-old Glenn Alcock: Magistrates were told he looked ‘much younger’ than his age

Mr Alcock proceeded to purchase the car, but continued to experience problems with it. He got back in touch with Howlin at Motec and said he wanted a partial refund or £500 for the part to fix the car, however Howlin refused, and said he was welcome to view other cars they had in stock.

Mr Alcock had seen a Mazda MX5 on the forecourt, and when he showed interest in it, he said Howlin tried to ‘put him off’ buying the Mazda, telling him the boot would be too small to fit his drum kit inside. However, the court heard that Mr Alcock liked the car, and wanted to purchase it.

Magistrates were told by Pembrokeshire County Council’s prosecutor, that Mr Alcock researched Mazda MX5s online, and found that there was a common rust problem with this particular make and model of car.

When he asked Howlin about any rust damage, he informed Mr Alcock that there was some surface rust, but it was fine. He claimed to have done the MOT on the car himself and there were no advisories.

Further down the line, Mr Alcock was informed by an employee that the Mazda MX5 he had purchased had been returned by a previous owner 12 months before. Following this, he took the car to Howarth Motors to be checked over.

He received a call from the garage asking him to come in to speak to them in person, where he was told that the car was ‘too dangerous to drive away’.

Mr Alcock called the Citizens Advice Bureau, who contacted Trading Standards. Mr Alcock was then refunded.

The court heard that there was so much corrosion on the underside of the car that when it was tapped with a screwdriver the rust ‘disintegrated’. Howarth Motors said that it was the ‘worst mechanical condition they had seen that had passed its MOT’.

Jenny Tree from Pembrokeshire County Council looked into previous MOT certificates for the Mazda MX5, and found that there had been advisories in the past regarding the rust. In May 2017, the car was bought by a man who purchased the car for £1,195. He said that he wanted to have it serviced, but didn’t get around to doing it until the August.

When he had it serviced, he was told that not to drive the car because it was a ‘death trap’, and a towing truck had to be arranged to transport it back. Mark Hicks of Motec offered him a refund and took the car back.

Ms Tree contacted Dave Ford, the person who had conducted the service on the car in August 2017. He said he was ‘horrified’ at the ‘heavy corrosion’ on the car’s wishbone, which had it come into contact with a curb would have ‘snapped’.

The court also heard that the calipers were only working on one piston as the others had seized.

The Mazda was examined by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), who said the defects were so severe that it should not have passed its MOT. Howlin said the car must have ‘hit something’ which had come off to reveal the damage, however, the VSA had noticed an underseal had been applied over the rust. Howlin then turned to accuse Howarth Motors, saying it must have been ‘hammered’ by them, but there was ‘no evidence’ of this.

The offside rear suspension components were dangerous and not roadworthy, and the Mazda was, all in all, ‘a danger to the user and other road users’.

The court heard that the underseal on the bottom of the car had been applied in what looked like an ‘attempt to camouflage’ the extent of the corrosion. The car was also noted during a brake test to be weighing in at 900kg, which is a ‘low weight’ for the make and model for the car.

When documents were reviewed, it was found that in July 2017, the automated brake test showed it weighed 1.182kg, which is the expected weight. This was described as an ‘anomaly’.

An inspection was carried out at Motec Autos by the DVSA, who were met by Mark Hicks. The court heard that Hicks seemed ‘agitated’ that they were around the back of the premises, and said that the only vehicles that were up for sale were the cars situated at the front. However, the DVSA noted that there were prices in the windows, and therefore they must be up for sale.

Six cars were selected at random for inspection, three of which were unworthy of being on the road, in particular a Vauxhall Corsa.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s prosecutor told the court that car dealerships are heavily complained about to trade centres and 26% of complaints are related to the safety of the cars.

Howlin’s defence solicitor, Mark Owen, said: “Howlin pleaded guilty on the first occasion and the case was adjourned to today two weeks ago. From the point back in May the intent was to deal with the issues constructively.

“When we first attended an interview, it’s clear that what is an important aspect of MOTs is that they are of gold standard. There are levels to MOTs that you can rely on them, but it’s not always the case. It’s not what you would expect it to be – it’s more the bare minimum.

“That was part of our argument. What became clear was this vehicle had been identified as having defects, and Howlin failed to take proper action. We have to accept information conveyed that it wasn’t good enough, and certain actions were taken immediately.

“The issues were erased with the young man, and he was refunded and an apology was given.”

Mr Owen added that the garage is a ‘heavy regulated’ part of the industry, and said: “What he may have done 30 years ago he can’t do today. He is not known to the court before, and he does have a good reputation in this area.

“His knowledge has served him well, but changes have occurred with regulations and he has failed to keep up with them. You can see from the paperwork he did take certain actions.

“He left other parties to deal with day to day sales, and there are questions of how things are passed through.”

Mr Owen continued: “The offences are accepted, the most serious being the Mazda MX5. 12 months before it had been returned and it wasn’t safe.

“This is an isolated incident. For over 38 years he has been in the trade without indication of flaw or serious problems. He wasn’t keeping up with professional developments and was failing to recognise the world had changed. It happens in farming sometimes. He is not a dodgy dealer. he wants to contribute to the community.

“He only feels remorse and shame. He will suffer reputational damage, however good his reputation has been in the past. His reputation will be damaged because he needs to build up trust again.”

Mr Owen finished, saying: “It’s going to take a great deal of time to put it right.”

Magistrates imposed fines, prosecution costs and victim surcharge of £6145 in total against William Howlin, and a further £11,215 against Motec Autos – £17,360 all together, which he must pay £500 per month for each offence.

He was also given a community order, with the requirement of completing 150 hours of unpaid work.

Mr Howlin told the Herald: “I disagree there were signs saying ‘sold as seen’ on the forecourt.

“I did not offfer Mr Alcock a partial refund, only a partial exchange on the car.”

Mr Howlin went on to deny that he told Mr Alcock that the car hit something: “I think the car must have been damaged at a third party garage.”

Ministry of Defence

Could Milford Haven be a target? Are we exposed as UK relies on US for missile defence?

Published

2 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Cold War fears resurface as Iran’s reach grows and Britain admits it has no independent shield

PEMBROKESHIRE has long been considered a strategic target — and during the Cold War, the county’s energy infrastructure and Atlantic access placed it firmly on the radar of military planners.

Today, those same strengths are raising uncomfortable questions once again.

As tensions rise following Iran’s attempted strike on a UK–US base at Diego Garcia on Saturday (March 21), the debate has shifted sharply: not whether Britain is under immediate threat — but whether it would be protected if that ever changed.

Strategic target

Milford Haven is home to some of the UK’s most critical energy assets, including major LNG terminals and oil infrastructure that supply a significant share of the nation’s gas.

In strategic terms, such facilities would rank among the most valuable economic targets in any high-level conflict.

For many in Pembrokeshire, that reality is nothing new. During the Cold War, the area was widely regarded as a potential target due to its importance to Britain’s energy security.

Lessons from Diego Garcia

The attempted strike on Diego Garcia has become a defining moment in the current crisis.

The joint UK–US base is a heavily defended military installation, supported by advanced radar systems and US naval assets. Reports indicate that one of the incoming missiles was intercepted before it could reach its target, while another failed.

But that success raises a more troubling question.

If a missile can be intercepted over a fortified base in the Indian Ocean, what happens when the target is a civilian energy hub in west Wales?

No shield over Britain

The UK has no dedicated system to intercept long-range ballistic missiles over its own territory.

While RAF Fylingdales provides early warning and tracking, it cannot stop an incoming threat.

Britain’s air defence network is designed to deal with aircraft, drones and cruise missiles — not high-speed ballistic weapons travelling through space.

In practical terms, if a missile were ever heading toward a location such as Milford Haven, there is no British-operated system that could reliably stop it at the last moment.

Reliance on the United States

Instead, any interception attempt would fall to the United States and wider NATO systems.

These include:

Aegis Ashore missile defence bases in Eastern Europe
US Navy warships equipped with SM-3 interceptors
Integrated NATO tracking and command networks

These systems are capable of striking a missile in space during its midcourse phase — but only if the missile passes within range.

If it does not, there may be no interception at all.

Even when an attempt is made, success is not guaranteed. Analysts estimate that such systems have a probability of success of between 50 and 80 per cent under test conditions, meaning multiple interceptors are often fired at a single target to improve the odds.

Europe now “within range”

The debate has intensified following warnings from Israel that Iran’s latest missiles could reach far beyond the Middle East.

Israeli officials have claimed that the system used in the Diego Garcia attempt was a two-stage ballistic missile with a range of around 4,000 km — potentially placing parts of Europe within reach.

Cities such as London, Paris and Berlin have been cited as falling within the outer limits of that range, although experts stress that range on paper does not necessarily translate into reliable, repeatable strike capability.

Experts divided

Defence analysts remain split.

Some say the attempted long-range strike marks a clear step forward in Iran’s capabilities, moving the threat from theoretical to credible.

Others caution that Iran’s operational missile arsenal has historically been limited to around 2,000 km, suggesting that any longer-range capability may still be experimental rather than deployable.

UK Government response

Ministers have sought to calm fears, insisting there is no current evidence that Iran has either the intent or the capability to strike the UK mainland.

At the same time, the government has condemned Iran’s actions as “reckless” and emphasised that Britain will work with allies to protect its interests.

That response reflects a broader reality.

Deterrence, not defence

Britain’s primary protection is not interception — it is deterrence.

Any successful strike on UK soil would almost certainly trigger a major NATO response, making such an attack extraordinarily risky for any adversary.

But deterrence does not eliminate vulnerability.

The bottom line

Pembrokeshire’s strategic importance has not changed — but the conversation around long-range threats has.

The UK can detect a missile. It can track it. It can coordinate with allies and attempt an interception at distance.

But when it comes to stopping it over Britain itself, there is no independent shield — only reliance on US and NATO systems being in the right place at the right time.

For communities built around critical infrastructure like Milford Haven, that raises a stark and uncomfortable question:

If the unthinkable ever became reality, who — if anyone — would be able to stop it?

Community

Milford Haven salon named national awards finalist

Published

3 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A local beauty therapist earns recognition in prestigious UK competition

A MILFORD HAVEN beauty therapist has been shortlisted for a major national award celebrating excellence in the hair and beauty industry.

Charlotte Mitchell-Johns, of The Attic Hair & Beauty, has been named a finalist in the Hair Extensions Specialist category at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2026.

Ms Mitchell-Johns, who is a Level four beauty therapist, also works as a hair extensions specialist and beauty educator with HB Training.

Speaking about the recognition, she said she was “truly honoured” to be named among the finalists.

She added that she believes the industry thrives on collaboration rather than competition, and that supporting others is key to long-term success.

Ms Mitchell-Johns has been recognised for her technical skill, commitment to clients, and efforts to maintain high standards within the beauty sector.

The UK Hair and Beauty Awards highlight leading professionals from across the country, celebrating talent, creativity and dedication within the industry.

Crime

Child rapist found with abuse images after moving to west Wales

Published

3 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Registered sex offender Wayne Evans, who moved to Carmarthenshire for a fresh start, was caught after the National Crime Agency flagged activity linked to a Kik account

A CONVICTED child rapist who moved to rural west Wales in an apparent attempt to start over was found with indecent images of children on his phone after his online activity was flagged by the National Crime Agency.

Wayne Evans, 59, of Pentrecourt Road, Llandysul, appeared before Swansea Crown Court after officers discovered the images during an investigation triggered by the NCA.

The court heard that in January last year, the NCA alerted Dyfed-Powys Police to a Kik messaging account involved in downloading indecent images of children. The email address linked to the account was already known to police and belonged to Evans, a registered sex offender.

Officers went to his home on January 28 and arrested him. Evans told police he had not downloaded the images himself and claimed they had appeared in a Kik group he was part of, adding that the group had since been shut down.

Police seized six devices from the property and Evans handed over the pin numbers for his phones and tablets. He later answered “no comment” to questions in interview and was released under investigation while the devices were examined.

A forensic analysis of his Samsung Galaxy phone uncovered 13 Category A images, eight Category B images and two Category C images. The material involved children aged between four and 12.

Category A images are considered the most serious and involve the gravest forms of sexual abuse.

The court was told Evans has six previous convictions covering 23 offences. In 1990, he was convicted of gross indecency with a child and indecent assault of a child. In 2002, he was jailed for 15 years for raping a child under 16, attempted rape, gross indecency and five further counts of indecent assault. He was placed on the sex offenders register for life and released from prison in 2011.

Evans had admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, covering Categories A, B and C.

Emily Bennett, representing Evans, said her client knew the court would view the offences in the “dimmest of lights”. She said he had moved to a rural part of Wales where he kept himself to himself and had taken steps to reduce his contact with females.

She also told the court Evans accepted that he still had an inappropriate sexual attraction to children, and said he was in a long-term stable relationship with a partner who knew about his past offending.

Sentencing Evans, Recorder Mark Powell KC said he accepted that the defendant had taken some steps to change his life, but said it was clear he continued to have a sexual interest in children.

The judge said his priority was to pass a sentence which reduced the risk Evans posed. He said an immediate prison term available under the guidelines would be relatively short, could be destabilising, and might even increase the danger to the public.

With credit for his guilty pleas, Evans was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation activity requirement, a Building Choices programme, and 100 hours of unpaid work.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed for 10 years, and Evans will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Photo caption:

Wayne Evans was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court after indecent images of children were found on his phone