News

Victim speaks out about sexual abuse

Published

9 years ago

November 13, 2014

CARMARTHENSHIRE girl Annabelle Forest was just seven years old when she was inducted into a twisted sex cult by her own mother; an experience she writes about it in The Devil on the Door Step: My Escape from a Satanic Sex Cult. Annabelle, who now has two children and a husband, says: “When I look at my daughter and feel my heart swell, it defies all my understanding that there are people like my own mother in this world – a woman capable of harming her own flesh and blood in the way she harmed me.”

At the age of seven, Annabelle was woken up at night to watch her mother, Jacqueline Marling perform a sex act on a man named Colin Batley, and was told “I will have you when your periods start.” Batley was the leader of their church and ‘ruled the cult with an iron will’, with his warped ideology based on Aleister Crowley’s Book of Law. He would control Annabelle and her mother’s lives, not letting them do things such as take photographs, or let their grandparents stay the night because it was ‘against the Church rules.’ He even told her that she could not look him directly in the eyes or she would go directly to the Abyss, where she would endure a lifetime of suffering.

If she forgot, she would be shouted at by him saying: “Can you see the devil in there? He can see you.” At the age of eleven, Batley raped her after she came in from playing on a bouncy castle with her friends, saying: “I told you I’d have you.” He manipulated and tricked her into thinking she had to go through a series of ‘tests’ in which she had to do as she was told.

Once he had finished with her, he’d say: “The Gods are pleased with you” or: “You passed this test.” He called himself ‘Prince Priest’, saying she was the chosen one. He told her of ‘The ways of the Scarlet woman’, who would be the wife of Prince Priest and bring glory of the stars into the hearts of man. Three years later, at the age of 14, she was forced to perform a sex act of Batley with her mother and forced to have sex with a boy the same age as her who had learning difficulties, which her mother filmed for Batley.

The events led her to attempting to take her own life, where she says: “Dying felt like the answer.” She took 24 paracetamol tablets and went to sleep, but it did not work. Batley told her that she lived because the Gods were protecting her. At 18 years of age, Annabelle fell pregnant with Batley’s child conceived through rape, which he denied was him and tried to make her abort.

Annabelle’s mother told her: “You want to try keeping your legs crossed a bit more.” However, Batley later changed his mind and told her she would be a murderer if she rejected a child from the Gods. After having her baby, Emily in February 2008, she was forced into prostitution in Bristol by Batley and her mother, and was told: “Your name up here is Camilla”, and had to text Batley after every person she’d ‘had’, and later being told she should become an ‘all-round whore where she should offer a wider range of services.

Annabelle managed to escape and managed to run to the police, where she revealed she had been forced to sleep with over 1,800 men. In March 2011, former Tesco security worker, Colin Batley of Kidwelly, was jailed indefinitely after a judge described him as dangerous and condemned his role as ‘ruler of a sick little kingdom’, with her mother, Jacqueline Marling being jailed in 2011 for a minimum of 12 years. Annabelle describes in detail what happened to her through her story, which proves how her strength and courage helped her to heal and find justice, and has said that if her book makes one person think or saves one person’s life, it has been worth it.

Business

Expansion for Ashmole & Co with acquisition of Jones Ward Accountants

Published

4 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CHARTERED, Certified Accountants, Ashmole & Co, are delighted to announce their expansion following the acquisition of JonesWard accountancy firm in Carmarthen.

Ashmole & Co Carmarthen has today taken over JonesWard who have closed their office in Lammas Street, Carmarthen. All JonesWard staff, including Ian Jones and James Ward, have transferred over to Ashmole & Co and will be based in the Old School, the Quay, Carmarthen.

JonesWard informed their clients that the administrative burden of running a practice had increased significantly over recent years due to the constant changing money laundering and tax regulations, software requirements and so on. Over the past 12 months it had become more challenging to maintain the level of service they had been used to providing.

Ian Jones said, “We feel Ashmole & Co share the same values as us and have the necessary expertise and resources to ensure we can continue to provide the personal touch and level of service clients have been accustomed to. Myself and James are not retiring but we will be supported by Ashmole & Co’s partners and staff from now on in their Carmarthen office.”

Ashmole & Co partners Sharon George, Carwyn Morgan and Vinal Patel will strive to ensure JonesWard clients will continue to receive the high quality of service they are used to.

Vinal Patel, Partner with Ashmole & Co said, “It is our priority to make the transition as smooth as possible with all employees of JonesWard having already transferred to Ashmole & Co and are now based in our office on the Quay in Carmarthen. We look forward to meeting our new clients and working closely with them to meet their needs in the future.”

Ashmole & Co Chartered and Certified Accountants have been established since 1897 and are one of the largest accountancies and auditing practices in south Wales, now operating from thirteen offices throughout south and west Wales including Swansea, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Ammanford.

Charity

Fundraiser to take on epic 87k steps challenge to raise funds for Withybush

Published

4 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SAM Faulkner is challenging himself to walk 87,000 steps in one day to raise funds for the Cardiac Care Unit at Withybush Hospital in memory of his father.

Sam will be walking along the Brecon and Monmouth Canal from Brecon to Rogerstone in Newport.

Sam said: “Since losing my Dad last year, I made a personal commitment to do something to raise money every year for the Cardiac Care Unit at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest who looked after my Dad so well in his final days.

“I will be challenging myself to complete 87,000 steps in a day on July 20th 2024 – 1,000 steps for every year of my Dad’s life. I’ll be walking around 40 miles in about 10 hours.

“Canal walks were always a firm favourite of mine and my Dad’s, with many days spent walking along the Grand Union in Northamptonshire when I was growing up.

“My family and I, and the unit at the hospital, would be beyond grateful for anything supporters could give. Thank you ever so much in advance.”

Katie Hancock, Pembrokeshire Fundraising Officer, said: “We’d like to say a huge good luck to Sam with his challenge. Thank you so much for dedicating your time to raise more funds for the Cardiac Care Unit.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

You can donate to Sam’s fundraiser here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/sam-faulkner-1712508280259?newPage=true&fbclid=IwAR2tyVVQVea0DLQelSsrp7Ie2CKjX0jXGnwndR_tBKL-Av2kv8f5nchEolw

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk

Business

Dragon LNG explores integration of LNG and CO2 liquefaction processes

Published

4 hours ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

DRAGON LNG, based in Waterston, Milford Haven, recently announced a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions.

The company awarded a contract to Worley, global professional services company of energy, chemicals and resources experts, to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study.

The study is focussing on exploring the potential benefits of integrating LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas)
regasification and CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) liquefaction processes at Dragon LNG’s facilities. This integration holds promise for a more efficient operation, with the potential to reduce energy consumption, carbon intensity and the levelized cost of CO2 export not only at the Dragon site but also for Haven industry companies.

If feasible, the technology at Dragon would support wider collaboration with RWE Pembroke Net Zero Centre, whose CO2 would be transported to the Dragon facility for processing before being shipped via non-pipeline transport (NPT) to carbon sequestration sites.

Key aspects to be addressed in the feasibility study include:

Technical Solutions: Worley will evaluate various technical approaches to seamlessly integrate LNG and
CO2 liquefaction processes, ensuring optimal energy efficiency and effectiveness.
Carbon Intensity Reduction: Dragon LNG is committed to sustainability, and the study will assess how the integration of processes can contribute to lowering the carbon intensity of operations, aligning with broader environmental goals.
Economic Viability: Understanding the financial implications is crucial. The study will delve into the levelized cost of CO2 and other economic factors to determine the feasibility and financial benefits of the proposed integration.

Commenting on the partnership, a spokesperson for Dragon LNG stated, “We are excited to collaborate with Worley on this important initiative. As a responsible energy provider, Dragon LNG is continuously seeking innovative ways to enhance our operations while minimizing our environmental footprint. This feasibility study represents a significant step towards achieving those objectives.”

Worley’s expertise in engineering and consultancy services including in the CO2 and LNG sectors makes them an ideal partner for this endeavour. Their track record of delivering sustainability solutions aligns perfectly with the ambitious goals of Dragon LNG.

This collaboration underscores Dragon LNG’s commitment to driving sustainable practices within the energy sector. By exploring the integration of LNG regasification and CO2 liquefaction processes, the company aims to pave the way for a cleaner, more efficient energy future with their ambition of a net zero terminal by 2029.