Magistrates decline jurisdiction over serious allegations

A JOHNSTON man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court accused of threatening a male with a knife and carrying out a violent assault.

Kenneth Mathias, 42, of Old School Lane, Johnston, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates.

“The parties were socialising, but comments were made and one of the complainants slapped the defendant gently to the face,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan said.

“Kenneth Mathias then carried out a sustained attack, punching the complainant nine or ten times to the head.”

The court heard that when another male attempted to intervene, Mathias placed him in a chokehold, causing breathing difficulties.

“A knife was then drawn and held close to the complainant’s neck,” Ms Vaughan added.

Mathias, represented by solicitor Alaw Harries, denied wrongdoing and claimed he had acted in self-defence.

He faces multiple charges including assault, criminal damage, theft, intentional strangulation, threatening with an offensive weapon, harassment causing fear of violence, and intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Magistrates declined jurisdiction and, following an application by the Crown, Mathias was remanded in custody. He will next appear at Swansea Crown Court on March 6.

Pennar woman almost three times over legal limits

A PENNAR motorist has been banned from the roads for two years after being caught behind the wheel with three illegal drugs in her system.

Stacey Wootton, 29, was stopped by police on September 2 as she drove her Volkswagen Golf through Amphion Court, Pembroke Dock.

“The officers’ attention was drawn to a defective light on her vehicle,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates.

After a roadside drug swipe proved positive, further blood tests showed Wootton had 130 micrograms of cocaine in her system, along with 800 micrograms of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine and 2.4 micrograms of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. The legal limits are 10, 50 and 2 respectively.

The court was told that Wootton, of Military Road, Pennar, Pembroke Dock, has no previous convictions.

After pleading guilty to three charges of drug-driving, her solicitor Mike Kelleher said she had since “taken steps to improve her lot”.

After considering a probation report, magistrates disqualified Wootton from driving for 24 months. She was fined £240 and ordered to pay a £96 surcharge and £85 costs.

Charity warns one in three over-50s struggling with costs, healthcare delays and digital exclusion

AGE CYMRU has launched a manifesto calling on political parties to tackle what it describes as “the crisis people don’t see” facing older people across Wales ahead of the Senedd elections in May.

The national charity for older people says rising living costs, pressure on NHS and care services, poor transport links and digital exclusion are leaving many pensioners struggling day-to-day and feeling increasingly isolated.

By 2030, more than 1.3 million people in Wales will be aged over fifty – around forty per cent of the population.

But despite making up a growing share of the country, the charity says too many older people are being “pushed to the margins”.

Age Cymru’s annual survey found nearly half (46%) of older people struggled with the cost of living in the past year, with sixty-two per cent cutting back on essentials such as heating and food.

Access to healthcare is also deteriorating. Half of respondents said they had difficulty securing GP appointments, with waits of four weeks or more now common. More than half of those seeking social care described the process as difficult or very difficult.

Digital exclusion is another growing concern. Thirty-one per cent of people aged over seventy-five in Wales have no internet access at home – roughly double the UK average – meaning many cannot easily access services that have moved online.

Manifesto demands

The charity is calling on the next Welsh Government to deliver seven key changes:

• Easier access to health services
• Timely, quality social care
• Action on pensioner poverty
• Reliable public transport
• Stronger community connections and Equality Act compliance
• Offline access to services for those without digital skills
• Support to keep homes warm

Real lives affected

For Terry Lemington, 72, from South Wales, the problems are personal.

While caring for his late wife, he said he was unaware of support he could have received until just ten weeks before she died.

“It wasn’t until ten weeks before my wife passed away that I was told I could have had additional support to help me care for her,” he said.

“That included a stairlift, which in the end was due to be fitted on the day she passed away. I just wasn’t aware of the support that was available.”

Terry, who does not drive, says limited bus services leave him cut off.

“There are hourly buses to larger towns and a small village bus, but they finish at mid-day on Saturday and there is nothing on Sunday. I’m completely cut off,” he added.

“Right now it feels like older people are pushed to the margins. But we still have so much to contribute.”

Economic impact

Victoria Lloyd, Chief Executive of Age Cymru, said the issue was not only moral but economic.

“These stories are sadly all too common,” she said.

“Older people contribute around £2 billion a year to the Welsh economy, whether through paid work, childcare for families or volunteering.

“Investing in the health and wellbeing of older people is an investment in Wales as a whole.”

She added that while the Welsh Government’s Age Friendly Wales strategy had made progress, more decisive action was needed.

“We’re calling on all parties seeking votes this year to read our manifesto and ensure older people are properly considered in their policies and promises.”