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Herald columnist Matthew Paul scoops prize at the Wales Media Awards

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THE WALES MEDIA AWARDS took place last Friday (Mar 22), with Matthew Paul winning Columnist of the Year for his work at The Herald.

Held at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Cardiff, the Wales Media Awards aim to celebrate and promote journalism in Wales. The awards are now in their sixth year, and act as a fundraiser for the Journalists’ Charity in Wales, which helps journalists and their dependants with advice, grants and other forms of financial assistance. The Wales Media Awards are judged by senior and respected journalists who are completely independent of the awards organisers and the Journalists’ Charity.

The judges look for entries which are compelling, revelatory, in the public interest, informative, exclusive, and/or entertaining, and take into account the level of journalistic skill, professionalism and effort employed to bring new information to light, or the efforts (ethically and legally) the journalist has taken to bring their story to life. The awards are open to all journalists, photographers, camera operators, video journalists, freelancers, student journalists, bloggers and vloggers who work in Wales.

Describing Matthew Paul, the Wales Media Awards website reads: “If local – as opposed to regional – journalism is to survive it is through columns like this. Hard-hitting, insightful, these articles surely set the tone for many a weekly argument among its readership. Matthew campaigns on a range of issues, from the way the local authority hounded a blogger who criticised them, to keeping a close eye on Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Stories that hit the nail on the end better than any so-called Fleet Street Thunderer, said the judges, who concluded that just because you’re local, it doesn’t mean you can’t take on issues of import from around the world.”

Among the other 22 awards handed out on Friday, Outstanding Contribution was won by Gilbert John, for his long career as a reporter at BBC Cymru Wales. A full list of the winners can be seen on the Wales Media Awards website at: https://www.walesmediaawards.co.uk/home

Crime

Woman suspected of carrying heroin arrested at Carmarthen train station

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A JOHNSTON woman has been remanded in custody by a District Judge on suspicion of concealing heroin inside her vagina, with intent to supply it to others.

Carrie Davidson was arrested by police officers on April 19 on suspicion that she had travelled to Cardiff to collect the Class A drug before travelling back to Pembrokeshire by train.

Officers apprehended her at Carmarthen train station and arrested her on suspicion of trafficking drugs.

She was subsequently charged with attempting to conceal a Class A drug on her person with intent to supply it to others.

Since her arrest, Davidson has been kept in police custody and supervised on a 24-hour basis, as officers believe the drugs have been concealed inside her vagina.

“Last Monday a food-type bag was discharged from her vagina that did not contain drugs and two days later a further piece of cling film was discharged from her vagina, again containing no drugs,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan informed District Judge Mark Layton when Davidson appeared before Llanelli magistrates on Tuesday morning.

Ms Vaughan went on to say that Davidson has declined to have an intimate search carried out by medics and has also refused to have both a scan and an x-ray of her lower body.

Since her arrest, Davidson has been remanded in police custody and subjected to 24-hour monitoring by officers.

This week the Crown requested that she be remanded in custody for a further eight days while officers continue to monitor her.

The request was granted by District Judge Mark Layton despite an application from her solicitor for her to be released.

“The police have reasonable grounds to believe that you have drugs inside your vagina, and two items have already been ejected,” he said.

“Your refusal to undergo any form of scans on your lower body will suggest to me that the police application is reasonable and correct.”

Davidson, who appeared in the dock in a wheelchair, has been remanded in custody for a further eight days.

“Thank you,” she commented following Judge Layton’s decision. “I’ll now stop eating and drinking.”

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News

MP Crabb continues to support local ex sub postmaster

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NEW legislation to overturn convictions linked to the Post Office scandal cleared its final House of Commons stages last night, with local MP Stephen Crabb saying that it is still taking too long to get compensation out to those affected.

Stephen has followed this issue closely since meeting with Tim Brentnall from Roch in 2012. Mr Brentnall was one of 736 sub-postmasters caught up in the Horizon IT scandal and wrongfully convicted as a result of faults in accounting software developed by Fujitsu for Horizon. Mr Brentnall was prosecuted in 2010 after a £22,000 shortfall was discovered at his branch.

The Post Office Horizon scandal has been described as one of the UK’s most widespread miscarriages of justice, and was the subject of the recent ITV drama series ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’.

Assisting: Stephen Crabb MP

Last week, Mr Crabb organised a meeting between the Post Office Minister, Kevin Hollinrake MP, and UK Government officials to discuss the compensation process and ensure that Mr Brentnall receives the necessary support. Since 2012, Stephen Crabb has pressed Government ministers to move faster to ensure that sub-postmasters finally get justice. He ensured that Mr Brentnall’s experience formed part of the catalogue of cases that former MP James Arbuthnot used to shine a light on the scandal.

The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, introduced to Parliament on 13 March 2024, will automatically overturn convictions for certain offences linked to the Post Office Horizon scandal. Mr Brentnall’s own conviction was quashed in the Court of Appeal on 19 July 2021.

Following the meeting, MP Crabb commented:

“I’m pleased to have been able to arrange the meeting for Tim and myself to talk through the compensation process with the Minister so that finally a line can be drawn under this awful experience for Tim and for all those affected”

“I have long been calling on the Government to take action. I am encouraged by the steps that have already been taken by Government on this with the introduction of the bill announced by the Prime Minister earlier this year. It has been an arduous and painful process to get to a point where justice is finally being served.”

“However, the speed at which compensation packages are being paid is currently too slow. It is so important that all those affected are compensated as fast as possible and I will be seeking further clarity from the Minister on this in due course.”

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Crime

Llandissilio man accused of making hundreds of child abuse images

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A 25-YEAR-OLD Llandissilio man has appeared before a District Judge charged with making 258 Category A images of a child.

Lawrence Lambert is further charged with making 123 category B images of a child and 135 category C images of a child.

The Crown alleges that each offence was committed between August 5, 2019 and August 5, 2022.

Lambert appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday, April 30, where he pleaded not guilty to each offence.

Following a request from Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson, District Judge Mark Layton declined jurisdiction in the case and the matter was adjourned until May 31 when trial proceedings against Lambert will commence at Swansea Crown Court.

No representations were made by his solicitor, Mr Michael Kelleher.

Lawrence Lambert, of Llys y Coed, Llandissilio, was released on unconditional bail.

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