News
Haverfordwest Provident Financial agent had ‘fake lenders’
AN AGENT for a loan company lent herself more than £6,000 using false names and addresses, a judge on Friday (Oct 17)
Alexandra Jane Evans, aged 33, disappeared when the fraud came to light and it took five years to track her down.
Evans, who at the time was living in Haverfordwest, admitted 11 offences of fraud and was made the subject of a suspended prison sentence.
Ian Ibrahim, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court Evans had been an agent for Provident Financial in the Pembrokeshire area and her job was to collect payments from clients and to grant new loans.
To approve new loans she was supposed to visit the applicants at home and to ensure they were using proper identities.
But she invented nine clients and falsely claimed that an existing client had taken out two more loans, eventually pocketing £6,200.
Mr Ibrahim said Evans was placed on a police “wanted” list but managed to evade the law between April, 2009 and 2014. She had once been detained at Bristol airport returning from a holiday but had a young child with her and had to be released.
After her eventual arrest, said Mr Ibrahim, Evans continued to maintain the loans had been genuine, although the address of one client turned out to be a branch of Greggs the bakers in Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, and several others simply did not exist.
But on the day her trial was due to begin she changed her pleas to guilty.
By then she had left Haverfordwest to live near Cwmbran in Gwent.
Evans’ barrister, Huw Wallace, said she had got into financial difficulties.
Judge Keith Thomas said after the offending had been discovered Evans had buried her head in the sand.
She was jailed for 11 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to repay Provident Financial £2,000 at the rate of £150 a month.
Crime
Police investigating attempted burglary at Haverfordwest shop
POLICE in Pembrokeshire are investigating an attempted burglary at No.37 Food and Wine shop on High Street, Haverfordwest, at about 3am on Wednesday, April 3.
A window was smashed and the door handle broken.
Police said: “If you have any information that could help enquiries, please get in touch with PC 195 Tayler, either by: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected], or by calling 101.
“Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111, or visiting crimestoppers-uk.org.”
News
Don’t forget to vote on Thursday, May 2
THURSDAY, May 2 is your chance to vote for the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner.
Don’t forget to use your vote and head to your local polling station between 7am and 10pm.
They are elected by the public to hold Chief Constables and the police force to account on their behalf.
A Police and Crime Commissioner’s job is to set the police budget and make sure it is spent effectively, appoint the local police forces Chief Constables, set police and crime plans in collaboration with residents and work closely with the local council and other organisations on these plans.
This is the first election in Wales where you will need photographic ID to vote.
Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport or drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.
Or you may have applied for a Voter Authority Certificate which is also accepted.
If you plan on taking your Postal Vote to a polling station or County Hall main reception remember to fill in a vote return form. Without the completed form those postal vote(s) will be rejected.
You can only hand in your own postal vote, and postal votes for up to five other people.
You can find out more about the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections online (opens in new window).
Crime
Banned for sleeping in car whilst over the drink drive limit
A MOTORIST caught sleeping in a BMW in MIiford Haven town centre has appeared before magistrates for being in charge of a motor vehicle when he was over the legal alcohol limit.
Police officers discovered John Steele, 30, soon after 5.30pm on March 9 when he was asleep in his red BMW which was parked in a car park at Hamilton Terrace.
“The engine was running and the lights were on,” Crown Prosecutor Abigail Jackson told District Judge Mark Layton who was sitting at Haverfordwest magistrates court this week.
“Officers smelt alcohol, he was intoxicated and he was slurring his words.”
Officers were unable to carry out a roadside breath test as a result of them not being in possession of a breathalyser at the scene of the incident. Steele was conveyed to a police custody suite where two samples of breath were subsequently taken, the lowest giving a reading of 44 mcg.
Steele, who is employed as a machine technician in Selby, pleaded guilty to the charge of being in charge of a motor vehicle while he was above the alcohol limit.
He was fined £400 and ordered to pay a £160 court surcharge and £85 costs. His licence was endorsed with ten penalty points.
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