Crime

Rogue trader sentenced after charging £4,600 for painting tiles orange

Published

3 years ago

July 26, 2023

A ROGUE trader has received a community order after pleading guilty to defrauding a vulnerable consumer in mid Ceredigion out of £4,600.

Peter Billydean Price of Broadmoor Nurseries, Kilgetty, in Pembrokeshire, pleaded guilty to two fraud offences while trading as Priced 2 Improve Property and Landscaping Services, following a case brought by Ceredigion County Council’s Public Protection Service.

Aberystwyth magistrates heard how in January 2022, Price dishonestly took payments totalling £4,600 to replace all the ridge tiles on the roof of the victims home after the victim placed an advert online looking for a roofer to contact him about the job.

The Council’s prosecutor said Price, 25, had intended to make a gain for himself by making misleading written promises to the victim to replace all ridge tiles on the property for £4,600. However, Price and his two male associates merely painted the existing ridge tiles in orange paint, which home CCTV captured the defendant arriving and leaving with paint and painting tools. The CCTV showed Peter Price and his associates had spent less than 3½ hours at the victim’s home in total and Price ignored telephone calls from the victim following which left the victim helpless and turning to seeking legal advice.

As part of this investigation, Trading Standards Officers from the Public Protection Service also obtained evidence from aerial drone footage which enabled a Chartered Quantity Surveyor to conclude that Price was evidently not a professional, competent and reputable roofer as the quality of the work was unacceptable. In fact, Price had merely used orange paint as a way to deceive his victim into the perception that new orange clay ridge tiles had been used.

Price’s solicitor stated that his client had relied on an ex-employee who had knowledge of roofing to lead on the job as in the main, Price’s work is primarily in ground work and paving. Price acknowledged the fee was excessive and was remorseful for his actions.

The Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Councillor Matthew Vaux, said: “At a time when a lot of households are struggling financially, this case shows the valuable work undertaken by the Council`s Public Protection Service to protect individuals in our community against rogue traders, and in turn, bringing justice for those affected by these heartless criminals.”

On Thursday 20 July 2023, magistrates sentenced Price to a 12-month Community Order with 150 hours of unpaid work, and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirements (RAR) days. He was also ordered to pay £4,081 compensation to the victim, £1,000 prosecution costs, and £95 court surcharge.

READ THIS WEEK’S PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD HERE:

Crime

Steynton motorist banned after drink-drive collision

Published

10 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Court Reporter

Driver was seen swerving through Milford Haven before hitting traffic barrier

A STEYNTON motorist has lost his licence after being caught driving through Milford Haven while over the drink-drive limit.

Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court heard this week that at around 2:00am on Saturday (May 10), police received a call from ambulance staff who were concerned about the manner in which a white Kia was being driven in the Milford Haven area.

The vehicle had been seen swerving across the road.

Officers located the Kia as it entered Milford Haven and watched it turn right into Thornton Road, where it collided with a traffic barrier.

The driver identified himself as Jordan Wootton. As officers approached the vehicle, they could smell intoxicants. Wootton was also heard slurring his words, while an open bottle of alcohol was seen inside the vehicle.

Wootton, 28, of Conway Drive, Steynton, was arrested. Subsequent breath tests gave a lowest reading of 59mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Wootton was fined £430 and ordered to pay a £180 surcharge and £85 costs. He was disqualified from driving for 16 months.

Crime

Dock man given suspended prison sentence for third drink-drive offence

Published

10 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

Disqualified driver was nearly twice the legal limit after being seen driving erratically in Range Rover

A PEMBROKE DOCK man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after committing his third drink-driving offence in six years.

Neil Edmundson, 51, was reported to police on May 7 after a motorist saw him driving an orange Range Rover “in an erratic manner” along Lamphey Lodge Lane.

“He was driving towards her at an excessive speed and was driving erratically,” Crown Prosecutor Dennis Davies told Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Edmundson was then seen entering a local petrol station, where he was said to smell strongly of alcohol.

He was later stopped by police officers but refused to provide a roadside breath test. He was arrested and taken to a police station where he provided a breathalyser reading of 77mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

A police investigation established that Edmundson, of Laws Street, Pembroke Dock, had already been disqualified from driving following two previous drink-driving convictions in 2020 and 2024.

Appearing before magistrates this week, Edmundson pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving whilst disqualified and driving without third party insurance.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from driving for five years.

Magistrates also ordered him to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He must pay a £154 surcharge and £85 court costs.

Crime

Bulldog left permanently blind after prolonged neglect

Published

11 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A BULLDOG was left permanently blind after suffering prolonged neglect by its owner, a court has heard.

George suffered substantial levels of suffering between July 12 and December 20, 2025, after his owner, Michael McGartland, failed to seek prompt veterinary treatment despite the animal’s significant decline.

McGartland, 70, of The Woodlands, Lower Level, Kilgetty, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

District Judge Mark Layton said the seriousness of the offence meant an all-options probation report would be required before sentence.

McGartland will be sentenced on June 23.

He was released on unconditional bail.