News

Former police inspector subjected partner to a ‘sustained and bloody attack’

Published

5 years ago

April 1, 2021

A former police inspector subjected his partner to a sustained and bloody attack, repeatedly punching and kicking her before arming himself with a knife and striking her with it.

A drunk Paul Bonning was “frothing at the mouth” and screaming and shouting at the woman before dragging her off the sofa and assaulting her following a night out together.

The 54-year-old then told the bleeding woman not to go to bed as he did not want her blood on his white sheets, and warned her not to report the assault to the police as he knew people “high up” in the force.

Swansea Crown Court heard that prior to the attack Bonning had served 30 years with the Met Police in London and with Dyfed-Powys Police.

Ian Wright, prosecuting, said on the evening of Sunday, July 1, 2018 Bonning and his then partner had been out for the night before going back to the defendant’s home in Pembroke.

He said the defendant continued drinking alcohol as the couple sat on the sofa talking, with the former inspector consuming beer, wine, gin, and whisky.

However, Bonning suddenly lost his temper following a comment the woman made about taking a woman back to his address, and he began shouting and screaming at his partner.

The court heard the victim described how the defendant “lost it” and was “frothing at the mouth” before dragging her off the sofa and repeatedly kicking and punching her to the body.

Mr Wright said Bonning then retrieved a black-handled knife from the kitchen and brandished it at his partner and as the woman tried to leave the room he struck her on the back of the head, it is thought with the handle of the weapon.

The court heard the head wound began bleeding profusely, and Bonning told her she needed to go to hospital – but he then went to bed, telling her not to join him as he did not want blood on on his white sheets.

The following morning the defendant went to work – at the time he was working as an Asda delivery driver – and told his partner to lie to doctors about the injury, and say she had hurt herself by falling over.

After talking to a friend the victim went to Haverfordwest’s Withybush Hospital where she did what Bonning had told her to, and told staff she had been involved in an accident. However, when medics questioned her and saw the extent of the bruising on her body they suspected there had been a domestic violence incident and contacted police.

The court heard the woman suffered a 10cm cut to the top of her head along with bruising to the upper arms – bruising which “had the appearance of finger marks” – and bruises and tenderness to her back and shoulder.

Bonning gave a “no comment” interview to police, the woman did not make a complaint of an assault, and no further action was taken.

Mr Wright said following the attack the pair met on a local beach with Bonning telling the woman not to go to the police, telling her she was a bad liar, and adding “the police will suck it out of you – that is what they do”.

The prosecutor said Bonning was subsequently served with a domestic violence protection notice but once that expired the couple stayed in touch and, though there was no further physical violence in the relationship, the defendant was verbally abusive. The relationship finally ended in January 2019, and later that year the victim went to the police to report the earlier assault.

The court heard the woman told officers that Bonning had said he “knew people high up in the police force” and she had been concerned about the consequences of reporting an assault by a former officer, was worried nobody would believe her. She also said she felt the defendant had “emotionally blackmailed” her into saying nothing.

In a victim impact statement read to the court the woman said while the physical scars had healed, the emotional ones had not. She said she had felt too ashamed about what happened to ask her family for help, relives the attack every day, and has been left feeling “vulnerable, betrayed and worthless”.

Bonning, of East Back, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, had previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Dean Pulling, for Bonning, said prior to the assault the defendant had 30 years “distinguished service” as a police officer in the Met and then Dyfed-Powys Police.

He said his client was, to use his own words, “almost burnt out” by the time he retired from policing, was suffering with stress and depression and potentially from post-traumatic stress disorder, and for the first time in his life had been drinking to excess.

The barrister said a pre-sentence report concluded Bonning posed a low risk of re-offending, and said beyond punishment a term of immediate custody would serve little or no benefit.

Recorder Ifan Wyn Lloyd Jones told the defendant domestic violence was a serious problem in society, and one which the courts took seriously.

He told Bonning he had subjected his partner to a sustained attack, and said a woman had suffered injury at his hands.

The recorder said the defendant had thrown away his good character but that he was satisfied Bonning was now remorseful for his actions, and that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in in his case.

Giving the defendant credit for his guilty plea the recorder sentenced him to 12 months in prison suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to complete a rehabilitation course and a building better relationships course. The recorder also ordered Bonning to pay his victim £2,000 in compensation, and to pay £720 towards prosecution costs.

Entertainment

Harbour Fest to bring music, food and maritime magic to Milford Waterfront

Published

9 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Free family festival will celebrate Milford Haven’s seafaring history and coastal community

MILFORD WATERFRONT will burst into life on Saturday, June 27, as the first Harbour Fest sails into town for a day of music, food, family fun and maritime celebration.

The free event will run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at Mackerel Quay and across the waterfront, bringing together local traders, live entertainment, coastal organisations and independent businesses for a packed day beside the water.

Organisers say the festival will celebrate everything that makes Milford Haven special, from its seafaring history and working harbour to its growing reputation as a destination for food, shopping, culture and family days out.

Visitors will be able to browse stalls from local makers and producers, enjoy street food and live performances, and explore a Marine Zone featuring organisations involved in sea safety, marine conservation and coastal life.

The Marine Zone will include Seagrass Network Cymru / Project Seagrass, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed-Powys Police, NCI Wooltack Point, Rudders Marine Training, RNLI Milford Haven and RNLI Angle Lifeboat.

RNLI Angle Lifeboat is expected to be based on the Mackerel Stage, while the Sea Cadets will be giving rope-tying displays at Milford Haven Museum, where craft activities will also be taking place.

Live entertainment will run throughout the day, with performances from Tom & Abz, Will Scott, Ryan Bristow, Milford Haven Town Band, Kyle Kirkhouse and ShantyJacs Sea Shanties.

Businesses across the waterfront are also joining in. All Pets Vet Care will hold a family-friendly open day with a bouncy castle, treasure hunts, quizzes, craft activities and behind-the-scenes tours. Aurora Artisan Crafts will host vocal performances, Biffy’s Bar & Restaurant will feature solo acoustic music from Laurence Lewis, and Martha’s Vineyard will offer seafood street food with live music from Ryan Bristow and Steve Bartram.

At Tŷ Milford Waterfront’s outdoor plaza there will be face painting, children’s activities, pop-up artists and an afternoon DJ set, while Phoenix Bowl and Pirate Pete’s Adventure Play will have inflatables and glitter tattoos outside.

The Waterfront Gallery will host introduction to felt-making workshops with textile artist Carole Fletcher, giving participants the chance to create a woollen felt flower pin brooch or phone/glasses case. The workshops start at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm and cost £5 per person.

A wide range of traders will also be attending, including 5th Flock Spirits Co, Cinnamon Grove Distillery, Cwm Deri Wines & Liqueurs, Ferncraft, Get Loaded, J.J. Pottery, Major Nuts, Orange Garden Design, Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, Pembrokeshire Gold, Pembrokeshire Lottery, Plumstone Welshcakes and SlateArtSJ.

With music drifting across the marina, food stalls lining the waterfront and lifeboats, sea safety teams and coastal groups adding a strong maritime flavour, Harbour Fest is expected to bring a lively summer atmosphere to one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known waterside destinations.

Organisers say the event is suitable for families, friends and visitors of all ages, with plenty to see and do throughout the day.

Photo caption: Harbour Fest will take place at Milford Waterfront on Saturday, June 27 (Pic: Milford Waterfront).

Community

Artist explores memory, community and changing rural life in new Cardigan exhibition

Published

25 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition exploring memory, belonging and the changing face of rural life is opening in Cardigan.

West Wales artist Sue Dewhurst will present From the Outside Looking In at Oriel Cardi Bach, with the exhibition running from June 27 to July 30.

The collection brings together several new series of work reflecting on the people, places and traditions that shaped Dewhurst’s childhood in the 1970s.

At the heart of the exhibition are the Chapel Girls, a group of paintings focusing on women who might once have filled the chapels that dominated Welsh village life. In Dewhurst’s work, they are now seen finding new forms of belonging through shopping trips, bingo halls, dating apps, bottomless brunches and everyday rituals, while redundant chapels stand silent around them.

The exhibition also includes A Bit of a Do, a series inspired by weddings, family parties and village hall celebrations.

Among the familiar characters are the mysterious woman in her best hat who appears at every gathering, the accountant calculating buffet logistics, the retired nurse dancing barefoot long after everyone else has gone home, and Harry, a grumpy gent with a mysteriously missing fingertip that nobody dares ask about.

Dewhurst’s Ghost Town series will also feature, exploring the changing landscapes of northern mill towns and communities transformed beyond recognition. These works sit alongside expressive coastal paintings inspired by New Quay and the Ceredigion coast.

A further installation of miniature “party paintings” will be presented like treasured relics rescued from a forgotten village hall or working men’s club. Wrapped with handwritten stories and nostalgic memorabilia, the pieces invite visitors to remember people and moments that might otherwise disappear.

Sue said music also plays an important role in the exhibition.

She said: “Music is so evocative for me and can instantly transport me back to a certain point in time.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives we don’t usually celebrate – the women who held communities together, the odd characters who turned up at every family occasion, the places that shaped us and the memories that linger long after buildings and traditions have changed.

“This exhibition is really about looking back with affection and humour, while recognising that we are all, in one way or another, trying to find where we belong.”

Originally from Lancashire and now based near Llandysul, Dewhurst has spent more than thirty years working in the arts. She previously ran Oriel Haywire in Llandysul before its closure around eighteen months ago.

From the Outside Looking In opens at Oriel Cardi Bach, Cardigan, on June 27 and runs until July 30.

Visitors are invited to rediscover familiar faces, forgotten stories and the beauty found in ordinary lives.

Entertainment

Filming begins on new Welsh BBC comedy starring Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs

Published

38 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A HEARTWARMING new Welsh BBC comedy co-written by Ruth Jones and Steve Speirs has started filming in South Wales.

Better Later, a six-part series for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC One Wales, will explore the unexpected joys of an unlikely friendship.

The comedy stars Jones and Speirs as two people who meet at a knee trauma clinic. Retired teacher Clive, played by Speirs, is 60, widowed and facing a new chapter in life. Shelley Anne, played by Jones, is a 55-year-old environmental health officer going through a bitter divorce.

The series is being filmed in and around South Wales, including the Brecon Beacons, and is set in the fictional village of Brynfach.

Ruth Jones said: “In a funny way this show has been 35 years in the making, which is when I first met Steve. It’s not that we’re slow writers, it’s just that we’ve been up to other things. It’s fantastic to be back in front of the camera with him again.”

Steve Speirs said: “Our first time acting together for quite a long time. Ruth makes me laugh more than anyone and I’m a terrible giggler. This could be a long shoot.”

Better Later has been commissioned by BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Comedy and is being made by Tidy Productions in association with BBC Studios Comedy, with support from Creative Wales.

The series was commissioned by Nick Andrews, Head of Commissioning at BBC Cymru Wales, and Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the BBC. The commissioning editors are Emma Lawson and Paul Forde.

Executive producers are Sarah Fraser for Tidy Productions and Josh Cole for BBC Studios Comedy. The producer is Owen Bell and the director is Simon Massey.

Transmission details will be announced in due course.