Crime

Pembrokeshire man imprisoned after making threats to kill

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2024

A COURT has heard how a probation officer became increasingly concerned for a client’s safety when a convicted criminal made repeated threats to kill him.

Probation officer Jonathan Shewry was on duty in the Haverfordwest offices on August 14, 2023, when he conducted a scheduled supervision session with Wayne Tydeman.

“Within minutes, Wayne Tydeman became verbally agitated and aggressive,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

“He told the probation officer to f*** off and then began asking questions about someone else. The probation office told him that he couldn’t discuss this person with him, but then Tydeman, 42, began saying he was going to stab him [the unidentified person]. At this point Mr Tydeman was told to leave.”

Ms Vaughan said the probation officer believed Tydeman was in possession of a bladed article.

“He was extremely concerned about the threats,” said Ms Vaughan.

Two days laterTydeman contacted the police to inform them that he was in possession of a five inch knife.

“He told them that he’d had enough,” said Ms Vaughan. “Officers were deployed and they located the defendant, who had a can in one hand and was holding a mobile phone to his ear. He was told to stand still because a taser had been drawn, and he was handcuffed, searched and the knife was recovered.”

Tydeman was taken to a police custody suite where he informed officers that his intention was to harm the other person with the knife before harming himself.

“The threats were repeated and were meant to be credible,” added Ms Vaughan. “His intention was to carry them out.”

Tydeman, of no fixed abode, appeared before magistrates via a video link from Swansea Prison, where he is currently serving a custodial sentence for an unrelated offence. He pleaded guilty to two charges of making threats to kill another person, intending that the person who heard the threats would fear they would be carried out.

He was legally represented in court by Mr Ross Williams.

“He didn’t make the threats to the individual, however he still made them,” he said.

Tydeman was sentenced to 24 weeks in custody. He was also ordered to pay a court surcharge of £154.

Crime

Local carpenter retains driving licence despite previous ban

Published

1 hour ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A Herbrandston carpenter has been allowed to keep his driving licence despite a previous driving disqualification for using his mobile phone whilst driving.

Addressing District Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week, Simon Shaw stressed the disqualification was having a major impact on his work commitment as well as his ability to support members of his family.

“If the ban continues, at least two of my five employees will have to be lost” said Shaw, who works as a self-employed carpenter operating from Herbrandston and the Milford Haven Industrial Estate.

“We travel throughout the whole of West Wales and also work at Thorne Island, where we’ve been providing logistical support for renovations for the last four years.”

Shaw, of Triplestone Close, Herbrandston, went on to say that his business has only one other driver who works as a reserve fire fighter.

“As a result, he’s not available to provide the 24 hour cover we provide to various care homes in the county,” he said.

Simon Shaw concluded by stating that his daughter is also dependent on his support having recently given birth to twins while his son-in-law and his partner’s mother are both currently undergoing serious healthcare treatments.

“I’m trying to provide as much logistical support for them as I can, but without my driving licence, this is impossible,” he said.

After listening to his comments, Judge Layton granted Shaw permission to retain his licence.

Crime

Delivery driver caught twice over legal drink-drive limit

Published

1 hour ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A delivery driver has been banned from the roads after being caught behind the wheel when he was over twice the legal drink-drive limit.

Twenty-nine year old Sam Rowe was stopped by officers just before 9.30 am on April 20 as he drove his Vauxhall Vivaro along Ferry Lane in Pembroke Dock.

“His speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot,” Crown Prosecutor Linda Baker told Haverfordwest Magistrates Court this week.

“There was also a strong smell of intoxicants emanating from him.”

When spoken to by the officers, Rowe stated he’d drunk a pint of alcohol approximately an hour before being stopped, however subsequent breathalyser tests showed he had no less than 75 mcg of alcohol in his system. The legal limit is 35.

Rowe, of Hazel Close, Pontypool, pleaded guilty to the offence and was represented in court by solicitor Michael Kelleher who informed the court that the defendant was holidaying in Pembrokeshire at the time of the offence.

“His daughter fell ill and he was attempting to find painkillers for her at a supermarket,” he said. “He’s very remorseful and is now going to lose his job as a delivery driver.”

Rowe, who has no previous convictions, was disqualified from driving for a total of 20 months. He was fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Crime

Police tip-off leads to driving ban for Milford motorist

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Sarah Jane Absalom

A Pembrokeshire motorist has lost his licence after police received information that the 40-year-old male may have been driving under the influence of drugs.

This week Haverfordwest Magistrates court was told that at around 8.30pm on November 22 officers received a call informing them that Michael Miles was suspected of driving his Peugeot Bipper through Milford Haven after consuming drugs.

Miles was subsequently stopped on Marble Hall Road and when spoken to by the officers, he informed them that he was a drug user. A saliva sample tested positive for cocaine while further tests carried out at the police station showed that Miles had 760 mcg of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine in his system, the legal limit being 50.

Miles, of Milford Road, Steynton, chose to be legally unrepresented in court and pleaded guilty to the drug-driving charge.

The probation service said he was very remorseful for the offence and has since had appointments with the Dyfed Drugs and Alcohol Service to help him deal with his drug usage. Miles was served with an interim driving disqualification however as a result of his previous non-payment of fines, his punitive sentencing was adjourned to Thursday, May 7.

“If you pay your outstanding fines before Thursday, you will be fined for this offence,” warned District Judge Mark Layton. “But if you don’t pay, you will be given a custodial sentence.”