News

Milford DVD counterfeiter escapes jail sentence

Published

10 years ago

September 2, 2014

dvds A MAN who was found guilty of manufacturing counterfeit DVDs narrowly missed being put into custody for contempt of on Monday (Sept 1).
Damian John Hill, also known as ‘Nesbitt’, of Observatory Avenue, Hakin, pleaded not guilty to the eleven charges, but admitted that he did know how to make copies of counterfeit DVDs. But his shouting and questioning of the prosecutor left the bench at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court unamused.
CPS prosecutor, Jeff Harris said: “The charge related to 440 DVDs that were taken from his home address on April 23. 123 DVDs out of the 440 were examined and 64 were found to have been burned onto disc from a computer, with the sleeves printed out and put on them. The 11 offences resemble the different trade mark symbols. DVDs had been downloaded legally, but any further copying is illegal.”
Mr Harris added: “The prosecution say that by printing off the Disney, Dreamworks, and Universal logos he breached legislation and the defendant was seeking to make a gain. As well as the DVDs, three laptops, three PC towers, a colour printer and a guillotine were seized. There is also evidence that some DVDs were burned to disc from Hill’s personal computer”.
A defiant Hill told the court: “I fail to see the offence I’ve committed. I bought the DVDs from Freddie X who proactively sells DVDs on Facebook. I bought them in a box and there were duplicates in there I said I’d have whatever he’s got left because I wanted the cases, not the DVDs themselves. I wanted the cases because I’ve done lots of wedding videos for people and I need the cases because you can’t get them in the shops and it makes them look better.”
He added: “I did not apply any trade mark stickers and I didn’t make the DVDs they didn’t go through my computer”.
Hill continued: “I’d know how to put a DVD onto disc. There’s plenty of ways you can do it. I have made copies of DVDs before I made a copy of Dirty Dancing because my daughter had ruined the disc and I burned another one”.
The court heard how Hill had received a caution in 2003 for exactly the same offence. When this was put to him by Mr Harris, Hill shouted: “I didn’t make those DVDs, and you’re saying I did so you’re the liar”.
Mr Harris continued: “Of the DVDs, 64 were found to have emanated from your computer. By copying a DVD you have deprived the companies by revenue”.
Hill shouted: “No, I pay for my DVDs”. When asked if he had any evidence of this, he said “Have you any evidence I haven’t paid for them?”
The magistrate reminded Hill that by shouting he runs the risk of contempt of court, saying: “We don’t want to put you in prison and I am bending over backwards to help you here. You don’t have a right to question the prosecutor”.
Hill was fined £195 with prosecution costs of £800. He was ordered to pay £20 towards the victims of crime. The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction for Hills DVDs and computer equipment.

Crime

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

Published

2 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

2 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

4 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.”