News

Milford Haven: Camp Valour head accused of £42,000 charity theft

Published

6 years ago

February 10, 2020

A MAN involved with an abortive scheme to regenerate Fort Hubberstone in Milford Haven is on the run after allegedly stealing approximately £42,000 from the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

The project in Pembrokeshire was called Camp Valour and Sean Pullen’s fake bona fides persuaded the Port Authority to become involved in his scheme before it pulled the plug on involvement with the shyster.

Sean Pullen, who used a variety of aliases and claimed to be a former member of the special forces, was last year exposed by The Pembrokeshire Herald as being a fantasist, unentitled to wear the decorations or claim the rank he used to try and get control of Fort Hubberstone for a pie in the sky project to convert it to a facility for ex-servicemen suffering from PTSD.

When The Herald exposed Pullen, we were threatened with legal proceedings – which never materialised – and, in a parting shot, a press release from the company he was using to front his attempted scam claimed that hostile press coverage had deterred them from going ahead with their plans for the historic fort. The writer of the Jac o’ the North blog was also threatened with legal proceedings for exposing Pullen’s unlikely claim to have been a paratrooper.

Proceedings came there none and now it appears that suspicions about Pullen were well-founded.

Sean Pullen resigned from his chairman role at the Liverpool Poppy Appeal and disappeared with an undisclosed amount of funds and RBL merchandise.

When investigators visited the property, they found the charred remnants of several collection tins, which Pullen had burned in the back garden of his rented £1500 a month home and collection tins with their seals broken and contents missing and unaccounted for.

Reports online at the Facebook groups Real Veterans Expose the Conmen and the Walter Mitty Hunters Club, state that Pullen’s landlord says he often received rent payments from Pullen containing a large number of £1 coins.

Sean Pullen, one of whose associates bizarrely claims Pullen is on a special assignment for MI5, was last seen in the Republic of Ireland.

Crime

Four deny murder of Caerphilly teenager

Published

6 minutes ago

March 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

FOUR people have pleaded not guilty to the murder of a 17-year-old boy.

Ricardo Elliot, aged 27, Connor Palfrey, aged 24, Elexi Manny, aged 24, and Georgie Mears, aged 18, appeared before Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Friday (March 20), where each denied killing Tristan Shae Kerr.

Emergency services were called to a property in Abertridwr, Caerphilly, at around 5:45pm on Wednesday (Feb 5) following reports that a teenage boy had suffered serious injuries. Despite efforts, Tristan was pronounced dead at the scene.

The court heard that the teenager is alleged to have been attacked with a so-called “zombie knife” measuring approximately nine to ten inches in length.

During the hearing, the four defendants spoke only to confirm their personal details and enter their pleas.

A trial is due to begin on August 3 and is expected to last around six weeks. A further pre-trial review has been scheduled for July 24.

All four defendants were remanded in custody.

Paying tribute after his death, Tristan’s family described him as a “deeply loved son, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend.”

They said he was quick-witted, with a love for motorbikes and adventure, adding that he had a natural energy that lit up every room and drew people towards him.

Crime

Broad Haven man remanded in custody over sexual harm prevention order breach

Published

19 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Court Reporter

Defendant admitted using Xbox without informing police as required under court order

ANTHONY COOMBES, aged 26, of Sand Banks, Broad Haven, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Mar 20) charged with breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard that between February 26 and March 19, 2026, at Haverfordwest, Coombes repeatedly breached the order by using an Xbox device without informing police within three days, as required.

The offences relate to a sexual harm prevention order imposed at Swansea Crown Court on October 20, 2021.

Coombes indicated guilty pleas to the offences at the first hearing.

Magistrates committed the case to Swansea Crown Court for sentence.

He was remanded in custody ahead of the next hearing, which is due to take place at 9:00am on Friday, April 3, at Swansea Crown Court.

The court refused bail on the grounds that he was likely to offend, citing the nature and seriousness of the offences and his previous record and character.

A pre-sentence report was ordered.