News

Samurai attacker jailed for four years

Published

10 years ago

August 5, 2014

sword A MASKED man armed with a samurai sword who put six people through a “petrifying ordeal” has been jailed today for four years and eight months.

Kyle Poole, aged 26, admitted kidnapping Luke Jones and his girlfriend Hannah Wright, and causing affray at the home of Carwyn Jones.

Parick Griffiths, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court how Poole, from Stockport near Manchester, had visited his aunt, Michaela Jones, in Cardigan and had been told that Carwyn Jones, then her boyfriend, had been involved in a minor act of violence.

Poole decided to take revenge and drove to Mr Jones’ home, Hafod Llwyd Farm, at Llechryd.

He used a scarf as a mask and put on a pair of latex gloves before bursting into a caravan in the grounds of the farmhouse and “scaring the daylight” out of Mr Jones and Miss Wright.

Poole punched Mr Jones to his eye and demanded to know where he could find Carwyn Jones.

Poole then placed two large kitchen knives in his left hand and a three foot long samurai sword in his right hand and marched the couple to the farmhouse.

He burst into the living room where Carwyn Jones was watching television with his three children, aged between seven and 14.

“It is not difficult to imagine the terror they would have felt,” said Mr Griffiths.

Poole told Carwyn Jones he was going to “slice him up” and lunged at him with the knives and the sword. Mr Jones grabbed the blade of the sword but Poole “kept on coming” and cut his hand and his cheek.

Carwyn Jones managed to push him away and all six victims fled in different directions.

Carwyn and Luke Jones locked themselves in the caravan, three minors who were also present ran out onto a road, and Miss Wright spent twenty minutes hiding behind a wall “scared out of her wits” that Poole would find her.

A motorist rescued the children and telephoned the police.

Poole was seen to drive away from the farm in a Vauxhall car, which he crashed into a fence and abandoned. He was arrested later in Cardigan.

Poole maintained he had intended to frighten Carwyn Jones but not to harm him.

Judge Keith Thomas said when people armed themselves with knives then serious injury can follow.

He said Poole had been “masked and armed to the teeth” and had put his victims through a petrifying experience.

Judge Thomas said he regarded the kidnaps and the violence at the farmhouse as separate incidents.

He jailed Poole for 32 months for the kidnaps, with an additional 24 months for the affray.

Crime

Sentencing delay for woman who killed baby Mabli in crash

Published

20 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Court Reporter

THE SENTENCING of a woman who killed a baby in a crash outside Withybush Hospital has been postponed after she suffered a suspected heart attack.

Bridget Carole Curtis, 70, of Begelly, was scheduled to appear at Swansea Crown Court on Friday after admitting to causing the death of eight-month-old Mabli Cariad Hall by dangerous driving.

Mabli sustained severe traumatic brain injuries when she was struck by a white BMW while in her pram at the hospital’s front entrance on June 1 last year. She was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and later transferred to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, where she died in the early hours of June 25.

Curtis was reported to have suffered a suspected heart attack on the morning of her sentencing and is currently being treated in hospital. The hearing has been adjourned and will resume on December 5.

News

Saundersfoot volunteers turn washed-up plastic into beach art

Published

34 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

HUNDREDS of pieces of plastic, once potential pollutants, found a new purpose on Pembrokeshire’s shores as they were transformed into a striking fish-shaped artwork. The temporary installation appeared on Saundersfoot beach, created by volunteers from Saundersfoot RNLI and Julie Davies of The Beach HeART Project.

Originally planning an early morning beach clean, the group found the high tide had left little to collect aside from a few cigarette butts. This gave them an opportunity to get creative, using Julie’s collection of 362 previously gathered plastic items to craft the unique design.

Julie said: “It became an instant talking point for beachgoers, many of whom were amazed by the variety of items used. These included bottle tops, sports drink lids, shotgun cartridges, sun lotion pumps, straws, ice cream spoons, fishing line and rope, foam bullets, sand toys, golf tees, cider keg caps, printer ink caps, a Barbie arm, Kinder eggs, a plastic carrot, and even a 2007 lobster tag from Maine!”

SPARKING AWARENESS

The artwork not only captured attention but also ignited discussions about ocean pollution.

Julie added: “We had some fun debating how anatomically correct the fish was—not helped by dogs who came to investigate and tried to steal the broken balls we used. It was rewarding to see beachgoers taking away even the smallest pieces of plastic they found on their walk.”

FUNDRAISING WITH FISH AND CHIPS

The RNLI Saundersfoot branch is known for its creative initiatives, and its next event continues this tradition. A Fish and Chip Lunch fundraiser will take place at The Hean in Saundersfoot this Friday (Nov 29).

Tickets are priced at £15, covering fish, chips, peas, unlimited bread and butter, and a choice of tea, coffee, or squash. The event will feature a raffle, table quiz, and nautical background music.

Reservations can be made by contacting James on 07824 320145.

Photo caption: Creative reuse: Julie Davies’ fish art made from washed-up plastics caught beachgoers’ attention (Pic: Julie Davies).

Community

Pembrokeshire trains set for major timetable changes

Published

48 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RAIL passengers in Pembrokeshire are being urged to plan ahead as the ‘most significant mainline timetable change in a generation’ is set to take effect in December. The changes promise increased services, better train spacing, and improved connectivity for the county’s rail users.

The new timetable, which comes into force on Sunday, December 15, will see adjustments across south Wales, made possible by the introduction of the state-of-the-art Class 197 train fleet. Transport for Wales (TfW) says these changes will result in additional services, later departures from Cardiff Central and Swansea, and more consistent scheduling with trains leaving at the same time past each hour.

Pembrokeshire passengers will see several significant improvements:

Milford Haven: Two extra services will run from the station.
Fishguard Harbour: The timetable will eliminate a six-hour midday gap, with more evenly spaced services to and from the station.

TfW’s journey planner indicates new service times:

Outbound from Fishguard: A new service at 4:04pm will bridge the current gap between 12:53pm and 7:32pm.
Inbound to Fishguard: A train arriving at 3:24pm will now fill the gap between 12:22pm and 6:57pm.
Milford Haven: An additional three trains will run to Carmarthen after December 15.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, highlighted the impact of the changes:
“This is a major change which will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from a more consistent service. This has been made possible by our £800m investment in new trains, and it’s great to see the results coming through across Wales.”

Colin Lea, TfW’s Planning and Performance Director, emphasized the scale of the changes:
“This is the most significant timetable change in a generation for mainline services. We’ve been working towards this timetable for four years, and the consistency it will deliver will be a massive improvement for many customers.”

TfW also revealed plans for further improvements over the next 18 months, including updates to the North Wales Coast and Cambrian lines, with newer trains and expanded capacity.

Passengers are advised to check the updated timetable in advance. For details on how your journey will be affected, visit TfW’s journey planner at tfw.wales/plan-a-journey.