News

Haverfordwest’s mayor reported to the DVLA by deputy over driving safety fears

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2023

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

HAVERFORDWEST’S mayor, who said he had received anonymous warning letters, was reported to the DVLA by his own deputy mayor over concerns for his ability to drive safely, the town council heard.

The concerns about mayor Alan Buckfield’s fitness to drive came about indirectly from an alleged incident during a visit to Haverfordwest’s twin town of Oberkirch, Germany.

At the March 23 meeting of Haverfordwest Town Council, Mayor Alan Buckfield said: “Last November I decided to leave the town council; I was planning to leave in May but now there’s unfinished business

He told members he would discuss the matter further in private, not alluding to it in detail.

Cllr Buckfield was then prompted by the clerk to mention an anonymous letter he had received.

“We don’t normally respond to anonymous things, an anonymous letter to ‘watch my back’,” said Cllr Buckfield.

“It’s happened once before; you get disaffected people saying: ‘we don’t like the town council’.

“I received this information through my door, that’s all there is to it.”

When asked if he passed the letter on to the police, Cllr Buckfield said: “I treated it with the contempt it deserves, it just said: ‘Be very, very careful, there are nasty people out there’.”

Cllr Buckfield was then asked by a member of the council if he had recently been anonymously reported to the DVLA.

Deputy Mayor Jill Owens responded to that, saying: “I said I’d reported the mayor to the DVLA due to comments made which gave us grave concerns about his safety to drive a vehicle.”

That concern stemmed from an alleged incident – not believed to have involved driving – when Cllr Buckfield visited Haverfordwest’s German twin town of Oberkirch last September, as president of the town’s twinning association.

It has previously been reported that the town’s twinning association had initially wanted to remove Cllr Buckfield as president – a role traditionally held by the town’s mayoral office.

Last October’s minutes of Haverfordwest’s twinning association, under the title ‘mayoral invitation from Oberkirch: September 2022’, said: “Owing to previous actions by the mayor, Cllr. Alan Buckfield, the association wishes to remove him as president of the Haverfordwest Twinning Association.”

The association later had a change of heart, cancelling an extraordinary meeting that was due to be held on November 7 and the motion to remove Cllr Buckfield as president.

At the March 23 meeting, Cllr Buckfield responded to Cllr Owens: “That’s personal and private, I see no need to bring it to the council’s attention.”

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Owens said she had raised the concerns about Cllr Buckfield’s fitness to drive as a result of responses received following the alleged incident in Germany.

Cllr Buckfield, 76, also speaking after the meeting, declined to comment on the DVLA issue, but said he refuted the allegations about any ‘incident’ in Oberkirch, saying he had since been back to the twin town on March 1 for the inauguration of its Burgermeister.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

9 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

10 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

10 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.