RAJ DOMNU, a 27-year-old resident of Scunthorpe, has been sentenced to 16 weeks in prison for his involvement in the theft of items valued at £1,819.53 from Boots the Chemist in Pembroke Dock. The sentence was handed down at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on May 14

Domnu, residing at Frodingham Road, Scunthorpe, appeared in court via live link. The court heard that the theft, which occurred on 13th April 2024, involved a significant degree of planning and was carried out as part of a group. CCTV footage presented during the trial revealed Domnu’s leading role in the offence.

Initially convicted on April 22, Domnu’s case was reopened following an application under section 142 of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980. The original sentence imposed on May 13 was set aside, leading to the reimposition of the 16-week custodial sentence due to the serious nature of the offence.

In addition to the prison term, Domnu has been ordered to pay compensation to Boots the Chemist in the amount of £1,819.53. He is also required to pay a surcharge of £154 to fund victim services and £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service. The total financial penalties amount to £2,058.53, which Mr. Domnu must pay by 1st July 2024.

Presiding over the case, Magistrates Mr. Roger James Mathias (Chairman), Mr. David Andrew Fawcett, and Mr. Max Shankland emphasised the severity of the crime, citing the premeditated targeting of high-value items and the organised nature of the theft. The court acknowledged Domnu’s guilty plea in determining the sentence.

Attending solicitor Mike Kelleher of Welch and Co represented Domnu during the proceedings. The court confirmed that the defendant is not currently in custody and no bail remand days were to be counted.

This case underscores the commitment of Dyfed Powys Police and the judiciary to address and penalise organised theft activities severely. The magistrates’ decision reflects the importance of deterring such crimes and ensuring justice for affected businesses.

POLICE have said that between 1st May – 11th May 2024, a Celevo Bike valued at £5000, a Mad dog surfboard valued at £250, an oven and a ceramic hob have been stolen from a property in Market Street, Haverfordwest.

They have asked that anyone with information that could help officers with their investigation is asked to report it to Dyfed-Powys Police, either online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908. Quote reference: 24000440402. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.

KANE WATSON, 24, was sentenced to a total of 14 months in prison for assaulting a woman in her own home in the middle of the night, which put him in breach of a suspended sentence order.

Swansea Crown Court heard last week that Watson had taken “a cocktail of drugs” when he broke into a woman’s home and punched her in the face, before later being restrained whilst topless and frothing at the mouth outside a pub.

“You started drinking heavily,” Judge Huw Rees said. “You took steroids to start bulking up. You hadn’t slept in three days and you took LSD for the first time. You do not remember what happened, save for your last memory of fighting with the police, thinking the police were trying to kill you. It’s deplorable violence in the complainant’s own home. That sums up how much of a coward you are. Or how much drugs can make you a coward.”

Prosecutor Harry Dickens recounted the terrifying ordeal, stating that the victim was in bed with her husband at around 12.20am on 30th March when they heard banging at their door and someone asking if anyone was there. They got out of bed and saw the defendant standing about four foot away outside their bedroom.

“He said he was afraid and said ‘They’re going to get me’,” Mr Dickens said. When she asked him what he was afraid of, he replied ‘Death. I’m afraid of death’. Watson then stepped forward as if to head back downstairs, but instead punched the woman in the face.

Her husband chased Watson out of the house, and she called the police. When officers arrived, the victim was described as “visibly shaken,” Mr Dickens said. The victim later stated that she now felt “vulnerable” after the incident and that it had left her “a bit of a mess.” She mentioned that she had previously felt safe leaving her door unlocked, but now checks multiple times that it is locked.

Watson was detained by the public outside a pub whilst topless and “frothing at the mouth,” and he was taken to Withybush Hospital after being arrested.

Watson, of Long Mains in Monkton, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. This put him in breach of a suspended sentence order.

In mitigation, Stuart John said: “The best place for him to start dealing with the problems which caused him to offend is in a custodial environment. He was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs and had various other issues. The defendant, at the time, really wasn’t himself.”

Mr John explained that Watson had been in a drug-induced psychosis when he committed the offence and had not specifically targeted the house or the victim.

As well as jailing Watson, Judge Rees granted the victim a five-year restraining order.