Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

A Llangennech man has been prosecuted for arranging the removal of household waste that was then fly tipped. Ethan George pleaded guilty last Friday at Llanelli Magistrates Court an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 - transferring controlled waste to a person without carrying out relevant checks. The court heard that on Wednesday March 9 last year, as a result of information received Carmarthenshire County Council environmental enforcement officers visited Llethri Road and Trosserch Woods in Llanelli where they saw a pile of black and blue refuse bags. At Llethri Road they saw nine blue and black bags and a kitchen chair. A search through the bags revealed evidence relating to a woman living in Llangennech. On arriving at Trosserch Woods they had to walk about 25-30m into the woods where they saw nine blue and black bags. A search through the bags revealed further correspondence relating to the same person. The following day the officers asked the woman how her was...

A Llanelli resident has been prosecuted after paying a man £10 to take waste from his partner’s home. The waste was the tipped in a town lane. Llanelli Magistrates Court was told that on Wednesday May 11 last year a Carmarthenshire County Council environmental enforcement officer went to the rear of Havelock Street, Llanelli, following a report that waste including a propane tank and some timber had been illegally deposited in the lane. On inspecting the lane the officer saw a number of refuse bags and a pushchair had also been deposited along with the propane tank and wood. On searching the contents of the bags the officer recovered a letter addressed to a house in Firth Road, Llanelli. Photographs were taken of the waste and of the document found in the bags. On May 18 the officer called at the property in Firth Road and spoke to the occupier who confirmed that she had waste removed from her property but was unsure as to who had removed the waste as her partner had arranged it with...

A Carmarthen farmer has been prosecuted for moving cattle while his farm was under TB restrictions. David Grant Hartman pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Friday to four offences under the TB (Wales) Order 2010 in a prosecution brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court was told that Mr Hartman’s farm, Trebersed Farm at Travellers Rest, was put under TB restrictions which are supposed to prevent the movement of cattle onto or off a farm. These restrictions are put in place to reduce the potential of the spread of TB and to reduce existing breakdowns. Despite these restrictions the defendant moved dairy cows onto his farm on three separate occasions. The investigation also discovered that cows declared as inconclusive reactors, animals that tests had neither confirmed to have TB nor shown to be free of TB, which must be isolated from the rest of the herd, had not been isolated as required. Mr Hartman said that he had been under financial pressures and had brough...

An Ammanford man has been prosecuted for failing to obey a notice to stop living at his business premises. Phillip Lewis pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Monday to breaching an enforcement notice issued by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that Mr Lewis was living in a caravan at the commercial premises Enclosure Tec in Shands Road, Ammanford, without the benefit of planning permission. In addition he had attached an extension to the caravan, created an amenity space with several dog kennels, and also converted an office building into two residential flats both without the benefit of planning permission. Mr Lewis was served with an enforcement notice seeking removal of the caravan and extension and to cease residential use of the land with which he did not comply. He was also required to revert the unauthorised residential flats to office space, with which he did comply. He was fined £300, and ordered to pay £282.70 costs and a victim surcharge of £30. Car...

A Llanelli man has been ordered to pay a total of £2,200 after a load of rubbish was found dumped in the old sewage works in Carway. Jamie Lee Curran, aged 25, of Maengwynne, pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for having aided, assisted or participated in the illegal deposit of controlled waste and an offence under the Environmental Act 1995 for intentionally obstructing an authorised officer in the exercise or performance of his powers or duties. The court heard that in May last year council environmental enforcement officers received a report of a large amount of household rubbish had been dumped in the old sewage works in Carway. The officers found evidence linking the rubbish to a house in Llanelli and made contact with the home owners who admitted that the waste was theirs. They said that they had paid Curran and another person, who was the driver of the vehicle, to take the waste away for them at a cost of £50 pe...

A Llanelli man has been given a suspended prison sentence for falsely claiming more than £17,000 in benefits. Christopher Paul Hancock appeared before Llanelli magistrates accused of benefit fraud offences against Carmarthenshire County Council and Department for Work and Pensions. Hancock, of Bryngolau, Dafen, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to five offences of failing to declare changes in circumstances under Section 112 Social Security Administration Act 1992. The case was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service after a joint investigation by the county council and DWP. Hancock had been awarded Incapacity Benefit on the basis that he was unfit for work. An investigation commenced in May 2011 after the DWP received information that he had been working. Further enquiries by the council and DWP established that 48-year-old Hancock had worked for various employers from 2007 onwards, including work as a warehouse operative and security work. Hancock had also been claiming additional Incapacity...

Teen charged with break-in stabbing | This is South Wales A Burry Port teenager has appeared in court accused of breaking into a house and stabbing a man in the abdomen. Steffan George, aged 19, of Tirwaun, was remanded in custody by Llanelli magistrates.

Suspect in court over killing of pensioner | This is South Wales A man has appeared in court charged with the rape and murder of a Carmarthenshire grandmother. Darren Martin Jackson, 26, of Bryndulais in Llanllwni, appeared in Llanelli Magistrates' Court for a brief first hearing yesterday.

A man has been fined £350 and ordered to pay court costs of £264.71 after dropping a cigarette end in Ffairfach, Llandeilo. James Edward Guess was convicted in absence of an offence contrary to Section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Llanelli Magistrates Court. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that on Tuesday, July 19 the council’s environmental enforcement officers were travelling in an unmarked vehicle along the A476 in the direction of Ffairfach, Llandeilo. On approaching the roundabout at Ffairfach, the officers saw four people smoking at Heol Cennen and saw one of the men flick his cigarette butt onto the road. Guess, aged 25, of Gwernllwyn Close, Dowlais, Myrthyr Tydfil, was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75. However, he failed to pay it within the specified time and was prosecuted through the courts as a result. Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “There is no excuse for littering our streets. ...

Man summonsed to appear before court on a charge of causing death by driving without due care and attention | Dyfed Powys Police | Heddlu Dyfed Powys A 33 year old man has been summonsed to appear before Llanelli Magistrates Court on a charge of causing death by driving without due care and attention. He’ll appear before magistrates on Thursday 12th January.

Seven per cent of serious crime offenders jailed by magistrates in Llanelli | This is South Wales Less than 10 per cent of offenders dealt with by magistrates in Llanelli were jailed for committing a serious crime in 2010, new figures reveal. The information, released by the Ministry of Justice, shows that just 7 per cent of people who were charged with offences such as ABH, possession of Class A drugs, assaulting a police officer and possession of a weapon were sent down for the crime. Out of 301 seemingly serious offences, just 23 of them resulted in a prison sentence. Many criminals were given community work instead. Victim of crime John Jenkins said he felt "concerned" about criminals being given "soft options".

Animal ban as 36 cats suffered | This is South Wales An Ammanford man has been banned from keeping all animals for 10 years after he was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to 36 cats. Thomas Adrian Sheppard was convicted following a successful RSPCA prosecution at Llanelli Magistrates Court.

A Carmarthen man has been fined £350 and ordered to pay court costs of £413.86 after being convicted of throwing litter. Ashley Miles Davies, aged 22, of Park Hall, failed to attend Llanelli Magistrates Court for trial for an offence contrary to Section 87 Environmental Protection Act 1990. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that two Police Community Support Officers were on duty in Brewery Road when they saw the front passenger of a car throw a large wrapper out of the window onto the road. The PCSOs recognised the offender and when they asked him to pick up the litter he refused. The council’s environmental enforcement team were notified of the offence and a letter was sent to Davies giving him the opportunity to discharge his liability for prosecution by payment of a fixed penalty. However, Davies failed to respond and was prosecuted in court as a result. The council now hopes this latest fine will act as a warning to others. The authority...

Machete find denied by trio in Llanelli | This is South Wales Three men have appeared in court after a routine police stop allegedly uncovered two machetes in their car. Dean Dolan, 38, Stephen Cummings, 34, and Dale Wade, 38, were arrested when police stopped their car for a routine check in Norton Road, Penygroes, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

An Amman Valley man has been given a suspended prison sentence for fraudulently claiming almost £20,000 Housing Benefit. Noel John Rogers, age 64, pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court to offences contrary to Section 112 Social Security Administration Act 1992. Rogers claimed Housing Benefit from May 2000 at his home in Cwmamman Road, Glanamman, a privately rented property. An investigation into his benefit claim was made following a suspicion that he had failed to declare ownership of another property. Enquiries revealed that he had been the owner of a property in Parc Bryn Rhos, Glanamman, since November 1996. It was also established that he had been in receipt of a British Coal Board Pension since April 2000. An Inspection of his Benefit records showed that Rogers had failed to declare that he owned another property or that he received a private pension. As a result of failing to declare his correct circumstances, Rogers was overpaid Housing Benefit of £19,914.75 from Ma...

A 35-year-old Betws heroin user has been warned he could face jail after he admitted threatening to kill a police constable he has known since childhood. http://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/8853967.Heroin_user_faces_jail_for_threats_to_kill/

A Llanelli businessman has been sentenced to a community order for offering to supply pornographic and counterfeit DVDs. Reginald John Protheroe pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court to possessing an unclassified video with intent to supply, five offences of possessing counterfeit videos, and three Trade Mark offences. Robert Edgecombe, prosecuting on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council, said that the offences were committed in Mansel Street, Llanelli, on October 28 last year. Police became suspicious of a transit van, stopped it and carried out a search. There were legitimate DVDs in the back but 45 other DVDs under a blanket on the passenger’s seat. The driver was arrested. Protheroe was the owner of the business and co-operated with the trading standards officers who had taken over the investigation from the police. He said that 26 of the 45 DVDs were pornographic and had not been certified by the BBFC for distribution in the UK. A further 19 were counterfeits of legitim...

A Llanelli woman must pay a total of £665 after more than 60 black bags of household rubbish were found at her property. Deborah Gail Myhill, aged 44, of Cambrian Street, has been prosecuted for an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1990. Myhill was due to stand trial at Llanelli Magistrates Court but changed her plea to guilty at the last minute. The court heard that council environmental enforcement officers received a complaint regarding a number of bags of refuse on a hard standing to the rear of a house on Cambrian Street. On arrival they discovered approximately 60 bags of refuse, a number of which were used to contain blue recycling bags that were filled with waste not suitable for recycling. Myhill told the officers that there eight people living at the address and that she could not comply with the council’s policy of four black bags for collection every fortnight. The officers pointed out that much of the waste found in the black bags was recyclable and that there w...