News

Manorbier chef guilty of sex attack

Published

10 years ago

August 1, 2014

A CHEF from Manorbier has been convicted of sexually assaulting a serving soldier he “rescued” from the pouring rain. Wayne Edward Mansbridge, aged 47, who works as a chef in Tenby, was cleared of a more serious charge of rape, assault by penetration and a second indecent assault charge. A jury at Swansea crown court had heard how the soldier had been attending a course at the Castle Martin range. He went into Tenby with some fellow soldiers but was ejected from the Tenby House hotel after becoming “drunk and rowdy.” began to walk back to Castle Martin. Mansbridge saw him on the Penally bypass as he drove home from work. The weather was atrocious and he offered the soldier a lift. But he did not have enough petrol to get to Castle Martin and back and suggested he stayed the night at his home in Hounsell Avenue, Manorbier. The soldier told the jury he could remember waking up in bed with Mansbridge performing a sex act on him. He said he pretended to be asleep. The following morning, he said, he awoke for a second time and Mansbridge was again sexually assaulting him. This was the offence for which Mansbridge was convicted. On his return to Castle Martin he immediately contacted the police and made a complaint. Mansbridge told the jury that after arriving at his home “we just started kissing.” He agreed sex had taken place but said it had been with the soldier’s consent and denied that it went as far as anal intercourse. Judge Paul Thomas said he would sentence Mansbridge after a probation officer had prepared a report into his background. A prison sentence, he said, was “overwhelmingly likely.” Mansbridge was granted bail meanwhile. In November of last year Mansbridge entered a guilty plea to one charge of possessing extreme pornographic images which portrayed, in an explicit and realistic way, a person performing an act of intercourse or oral sex with a dog and a horse.

Crime

Pembroke Dock woman in court for failing to remove rubbish from property

Published

12 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKE DOCK resident is due to appear before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court later today (Nov 25) for multiple alleged breaches of a community protection notice.

Sheena Deacon, of 13 Wavell Crescent, Pembroke Dock, faces charges under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which carries a maximum penalty of a Level 4 fine.

The charges stem from allegations that Deacon failed to remove accumulated household waste from her property on several occasions. According to court documents, the breaches occurred on September 19, September 26, October 2, October 9, and October 17 this year.

The charges indicate that Deacon, despite being issued with a community protection notice, did not comply with the requirements to clear and appropriately dispose of refuse and household waste from her address.

The Herald will bring updates on the case as it progresses.

News

Welsh Conservatives urge Labour to scrap ‘family farm tax’

Published

12 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH CONSERVATIVES have announced plans to bring forward a Senedd debate next week (Nov 27) calling on the UK Labour Government to abandon its proposed “family farm tax.”

The tax, introduced by the UK Labour Government, is being criticised as a move that will harm Welsh farming, threaten food security, and increase food prices. Alongside the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Farming Scheme and perceived “anti-farming agenda,” critics argue this new tax amounts to a coordinated effort to undermine the future of agriculture in Wales.

Shadow Minister warns of consequences
Ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, James Evans MS, condemned the proposal, stating:
“Labour’s family farm tax will put family farms out of business, threaten our food security, and lead to food prices rising. Only the Welsh Conservatives will stand up for our farmers, and that’s why we’re bringing forward a Senedd motion calling on Labour to reverse this decision. No farmers, no food.”

NFU Cymru expresses alarm
NFU Cymru President, Aled Jones, echoed these concerns, highlighting the widespread opposition from the farming community. Speaking about the impact of the tax on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief, Jones said:
“Earlier this week, hundreds of farmers from across Wales journeyed to London to meet with their MPs and register their deeply held concerns about these misguided and ill-thought-out reforms.

“The proposals unveiled by the Treasury last month to introduce a tax on the passing on of our family farms to the next generation are a massive added burden. They will leave many farmers without the means, confidence, or incentive to invest in the future of their business.

“NFU Cymru reiterates its call for the UK Government to halt these changes.”

The motion to be debated
The motion, set to be debated in the Senedd, reads:
“To propose that the Senedd:
Calls on the UK Labour Government to reverse its decision to impose a family farm tax on agricultural businesses.”

This debate is expected to attract significant attention, with Welsh farmers and rural communities keenly watching for the outcome.

Community

Internet outage for two villages after exchange box destroyed

Published

14 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS of Clunderwen and Llandissilio have been left without internet access following the destruction of an Openreach exchange box just outside Llandissilio village.

The incident occurred yesterday (Nov 23) when the box was reportedly demolished by a vehicle. The damage has resulted in a complete loss of internet services for the two villages, with repairs expected to take at least a couple of days.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the disruption, as the outage affects home businesses, remote workers, and households relying on internet connectivity for day-to-day tasks.

Openreach engineers have cordoned off the site, and work is ongoing to assess the extent of the damage. A spokesperson for Openreach has been contacted for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.

The vehicle involved in the incident has not yet been identified. Anyone with information about the collision is urged to contact the local police.

With repair timelines unclear, affected residents have called for increased communication from service providers to manage expectations during the outage.

“Bringing the community back online is a priority,” a local resident said. “We’re hoping Openreach can resolve the issue quickly and ensure it doesn’t happen again in future.”