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Tragic road death of ex-army driving instructor

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hmcoronerON THURSDAY, the death of a 63 year old man was concluded at the Pembrokeshire Coroner’s Court as death due to a road traffic collision. Clifford William Thomas Gates of Glen Cottage in Narberth passed away on May 10. Acting coroners officer, Gareth Warlow said: “Mr Gates was born on September 14, 1951 in Chelsea. He joined the armed forces and became a driving instructor. He met his wife, Vanessa Phillips and wanted to live in Pembrokeshire so they moved to Narberth in 2004 and he started up his own transportation business, which he ran up until the day he died.

He went to the Farmers Arms and had six to seven pints with a friend, Richard Davies. Mr Davies left at 10.15pm, and Mr Gates stayed there. Later on that evening, members of the public came across a vehicle on the A784 road between Narberth and Templeton. They thought the car had stopped, but upon getting closer realised it had collided with a wall. CPR could not be performed as he was trapped in the car and had to be cut out. There were no witnesses of the collision. A blood sample indicated that there was 239 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, 80 being the drink drive limit.”

PC Richard Jessop told the court: “At approximately 10.50pm, I was alerted to a fatal road traffic collision where a Hyundai Santa Fe had collided with a wall. It was raining and the road was wet, but visibility was clear. He had failed to negotiate a 90 degree right turn bend. There were no other vehicles involved. I checked all the tyres and they had good tread on them. The maximum speed is 40mph and it is a single carriageway road. Despite failing to negotiate that bend, he had managed to negotiate all other bends on that road. He was also around 30 yards away from his house, and this tells me that he would have taken this bend many times before.”

Daniel Houza who carried out the post mortem said: “The concentration of alcohol in Mr Gates’ blood indicated significant intoxication. He suffered a traumatic rupture and died from unnatural causes.” The coroner concluded that Mr Gates had gone to a pub and consumed alcohol that caused impairment to his driving. The coroner said: “He failed to negotiate the road, but this could have been due to a medical emergency, his foot may have become trapped, or it could have been due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed; or a combination of the both.”

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Business

Ferry Terminal ‘extremely busy’ due to ongoing Holyhead closure

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PEMBROKE DOCK Ferry Terminal has been experiencing significant congestion today as ferry services remain under immense pressure following the closure of Holyhead Port earlier this month.

The disruption, caused by storm damage, has rerouted ferry traffic through Pembrokeshire, leading to long queues and crowded facilities at the terminal.

The Herald can confirm that it has been very busy today with cars, lorries, and foot passengers queuing in large numbers. Staff are working tirelessly to manage the influx, directing vehicles and assisting passengers as they prepare to board the heavily booked ferries.

A spokesperson for the Port of Milford Haven said: “We are working closely with ferry operators and local authorities to ensure traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but the sheer volume of vehicles is causing unavoidable delays.”

Travelers are being urged to arrive early for their sailings and to remain patient as the terminal operates at full capacity.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries have increased capacity on their Pembrokeshire routes, deploying larger vessels, including the Stena Adventurer and the MV James Joyce, to handle the surge in demand.

From our position at the terminal, our photographer has captured photos showing long lines of vehicles, groups of foot passengers carrying luggage, and port staff coordinating efforts to ease congestion.

Authorities are advising non-essential travelers to consider rescheduling their journeys where possible and to monitor updates from ferry operators closely.

(Photos: Martin Cavaney/Herald)

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Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

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ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

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Crime

Three men from London admit their guilt over illegal cannabis farm

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THREE men admit their guilt after police discover over 700 cannabis plants during a raid on a former school building in Llandysul.

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police executed a warrant at the former Ysgol Gynradd Llandysul on Heol Llyn Y Fran on November 15. Inside, they found 737 cannabis plants spread across multiple rooms.

Armeld Troksi, 29, and Njazi Gjana, 27, both from Empire Avenue in Edmonton, London, along with Ervin Gjana, 24, from Durham Avenue in Romford, were arrested at the scene and later charged with producing cannabis.

The three men appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where they admitted their involvement in the illegal operation. Defence solicitor Joshua Scouller requested a pre-sentence report for Ervin Gjana, which was granted by Judge Geraint Walters.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 20.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Following a warrant executed at the former school on Heol Llyn Y Fran, officers discovered a significant cannabis grow containing 737 plants.

“We are grateful to the local community for their continued support and cooperation. Officers will remain in the area while the site is secured.

“Our commitment remains firm in disrupting drug production and supply networks across our force area.

“We encourage residents to report any suspicious activity, no matter how small it may seem. Every piece of information can make a difference, and reports can easily be submitted through our website.”

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