Crime

Ambleston man in court accused of child sex crimes

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

A 68-YEAR-OLD Pembrokeshire man has appeared before a district judge charged with committing 11 sexual assaults against children.

Mark Ford is accused of assaulting a nine year old child by sexual touching on two separate occasions; of causing a child under the age of 13 to watch a person engage in sexual activity on three separate occasions; of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 16 on three separate occasions; of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14 and two charges of gross indecency against a girl under the age of 14.

The charges are alleged to have taken place between March 27, 1999 and January 3, 2023.

This week Ford, of Chestnut Cottage, Ambleston, appeared before District Judge Mark Layton at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

No pleas were entered by the defendant and Judge Layton declined jurisdiction in all charges.

Ford will now appear before Swansea Crown Court on September 6.

He was released on conditional bail, the conditions being that he lives and sleeps at his home address, that he does not contact prosecution witnesses and that he has no unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 18.

Crime

Llandeilo man accused of rape sent to Crown Court

Published

2 minutes ago

July 2, 2026

Court Reporter

Ben Barrett remanded in custody ahead of Swansea hearing

A LLANDEILO man accused of rape has been sent to Swansea Crown Court.

Ben Barrett, 37, of Maes y Farchnad, Llandeilo, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Jul 2).

He is charged with rape, contrary to section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

The alleged offence is said to have taken place in Llandeilo between March 21 and March 31, 2025.

No plea was entered during the magistrates’ court hearing.

The case was sent to Swansea Crown Court under section 51 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.

Barrett was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Swansea Crown Court on August 3 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Crime

Cilgerran man accused of intentional strangulation in Haverfordwest

Published

14 minutes ago

July 2, 2026

Court Reporter

Carl Rago remains in custody after separate guilty plea to damaging police property

A CILGERRAN man accused of intentionally strangling a woman in Haverfordwest has been remanded in custody.

Carl Rago, 29, of Penffynnon, Cilgerran, Cardigan, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Jul 2) for a mention hearing.

The court register states that Rago is charged with intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015.

The alleged offence is said to have taken place in Haverfordwest on May 25.

No plea is recorded on the court register for that charge.

Rago has also indicated a guilty plea to a separate charge of criminal damage.

That offence relates to damage caused in Haverfordwest on June 7 to the inside of a police vehicle, described as a C30 Vauxhall van, and a Samsung mobile phone belonging to Dyfed-Powys Police.

The damage was valued at under £5,000.

Magistrates remanded Rago in custody after the hearing. The court register records the remand basis as including a likelihood of further offending, breach of bail, previous record and character, and the nature and seriousness of the offences.

The case was adjourned for a further mention hearing at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on July 23.

Crime

Currys theft spree defendant remains in custody as sentencing is delayed

Published

1 hour ago

July 2, 2026

Court Reporter

Man admitted offences including £1,525 Haverfordwest theft and £7,664 Carmarthen theft

A MAN who admitted stealing thousands of pounds worth of electrical items from Currys stores, including branches in Haverfordwest and Carmarthen, has been remanded in custody after his sentencing was adjourned.

Ilia Patchkoria, 27, of no fixed abode, Bacup, appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Jul 2) for a mention hearing.

He had previously indicated guilty pleas to eight theft charges involving Currys stores across Wales and the south west of England.

The court register states that Patchkoria stole electrical items worth £1,525 from Currys PC World in Haverfordwest on May 23.

On the same day, he also stole electrical items worth £7,664.78 from Currys PC World in Carmarthen.

Further offences involved thefts from Currys stores in Torquay, Barnstaple, Penzance, Plymouth and Truro between May 14 and May 18.

The total known value of the stolen goods is at least £17,459.46, with the value of the Truro offence listed as unknown.

Magistrates remanded Patchkoria in custody after the hearing. The court register records the remand basis as including a likelihood of further offending, failure to surrender, the nature and seriousness of the offences, breach of court orders, and the real prospect of a custodial sentence.

The case was adjourned for sentence at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on July 16.