A CLUBBER punched a man in the face as they both waited to be served at a bar.
Nathan Caveney, 25, of Holborn Crescent in Brynteg, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court charged with assault.
Justin Espie, prosecuting, told the court that at 2.30am on October 17, Caveney tried to buy a drink at Liquid nightclub on Brook Steet.
There was some pushing between him and another man, Kevin Crilly, who was also waiting to be served, and Caveney punched him above his left eye.
Bar staff saw the incident and called police.
Melissa Griffiths, defending, said Caveney had had a bad day and was ‘drowning his sorrows’ after finding out his mum, with whom he lives, has terminal cancer.
Ms Griffiths said Caveney, who makes equipment for children’s play areas, had been out with his brother and a friend and had too much to drink.
There was pushing and shoving between the pair as they stood at the bar and Caveney punched Mr Crilly, who later needed medical treatment.
Caveney pleaded guilty to assault and magistrates gave him a 12-month community order during which he must complete 120 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85, a victim surcharge of £60 and compensation of £150.
Caveney was also excluded from entering Liquid for the next 12 months.
A MASSIVE clean-up price tag is preventing a beauty spot from fulfilling its potential, possibly even from becoming a new country park.
A proposed operation to clean up a toxic lagoon in Rhos has stalled since the staggering £40m cost was revealed.
More than 94,000 tonnes of liquid tar needs to be dredged from the former brick clay quarry at Llwyneinion – an operation that would take four years to complete, based on removing 120-150 tonnes of material a day
The £40m estimate is based on exporting the acid tar to Germany to be used as fuel. But if a UK outlet could be found, the costs could be “reduced significantly”.
The current financial climate of austerity means no one is willing to stump up the cash to fund the clean-up.
Cllr Paul Pemberton, who represents Ponciau on Wrexham Council, said he had “hit a brick wall” in his efforts to find the money to carry out the operation.
He said: “We would like to see it resolved rather than left as it is so the site can be made safe. It could be turned into a country park or we could reclaim the land for a number of different uses, whether that is leisure or something else.
“At the moment we are in limbo because no one wants to part with any money. In today’s economic climate, we’ve absolutely hit a brick wall.”
Cllr Pemberton added the site was still being monitored but, without funding, nothing more can be done.
The poisonous depths of the lagoon had never been fully explored until 2010 when a scientific investigation was carried out by environmental engineering specialists from Germany.
Four scientists from Baufeld Engineering took to the water aboard a special raft and extracted 73 samples of acid tar and lagoon water which revealed a high concentration of pollution hydrocarbons, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and sulphur.
The poisonous tar, a by-product of oil refining, was dumped in the lagoon before 1972.
Acid tar of a similar type found at Llwyneinion has been used as a secondary fuel by power companies in Europe – but not in the UK.
More than 94,000 tonnes of liquid tar needs to be dredged from the former brick clay quarry at Llwyneinion, an operation that would take four years to complete.
The Poonarth.com site tracks the fouling problem in Penarth
A seaside town has launched a dog poo tracking website – to get pet owners to clean up their act.
The website was launched by fed-up resident Alex Sharifi, 28, after the seaside town ofPenarth was hit by a spate of dog fouling.
Poonarth.com pinpoints dog poo hotspots across the town, and also tracks how many fail to be cleared up by careless owners.
Mr Sharifi, who has lived in the Vale of Glamorgan town for five years, said he had never seen a problem on the same scale in any other place he has lived.
He said: “The idea came about because I noticed a lot of dog mess around the town and I was a bit frustrated by it.
“It seems a shame because it is such a lovely town. I want to know if other people share this concern with me.
“This is one of the most picturesque towns I’ve lived in and I feel it has been tainted by this issue.”
Poonorth creator Alex Sharifi
Locals are being encouraged to tag areas on an online map where they come across dog mess, and can even note how fresh the poos are and if they have been trodden in.
Gwyn John, cabinet member for visible services and leisure, said: “Education and enforcement are the most effective tools currently available to the Council to address this environmental crime and we welcome the assistance of this concerned resident who by establishing this website is helping us in our work to raise awareness of the problem and change the behaviour of irresponsible dog owners.
“If residents or visitors to the Vale witness instances of dog fouling I would urge them to report it to us directly via our website or contact centre so we can take enforcement action.”
Hightlighting the fact that offending owners can receive on-the-spot fines of £75, rising to a possible £1,000 fine if the matter goes to court, he added: “While the latest Keep Wales Tidy surveys show that dog fouling within the Vale of Glamorgan is only of a ‘small presence’ compared to that of many other areas, it is still an issue that can blight public spaces and is a potential danger to public health.
“The Vale of Glamorgan Council works hard to educate dog owners about their responsibility to the wider community.
“Unfortunately a minority of irresponsible owners and still allow their dogs to foul our pavements and parks.”
The Pentagon sad Siful Haque Sujan was killed by a US drone strike earlier this month
Police are investigating claims that a leading member of Islamic State killed by air strikes in Syria was a businessman who studied and worked in South Wales.
Siful Haque Sujan, 31, was killed in military action by the US-led coalition.
The Pentagon called him “a key link between networks” for ISIS and said he was a hacker for the murderous group.
The Telegraph claimed Sujan, 31, was a former student at the University of Glamorgan – now the University of South Wales – and later worked in the area.
'Now he's dead, IS has lost a key link between networks'
The Pentagon said: “Syria-based Bangladeshi Siful Haque Sujan was killed on December 10 near Raqqah, Syria.
“Sujan was an external operations planner and a United Kingdom-educated computer systems engineer.”
Colonel Steve Warren said: “Sujan supported ISIL hacking efforts, anti-surveillance technology and weapons development.
"Now that he’s dead, ISIL has lost a key link between networks.”
Col Warren said that Sujan's killing was part of an effort to remove the leadership of Islamic State.
He said: "As I mentioned before, in addition to our tactical operation, we are also striking at the head of this snake by hunting down and killing ISIL leaders.
"Over the past month, we have killed 10 leadership figures with targeted airstrikes, including several external attack planners, some of whom are linked to the Paris attacks, others had designs on further attacking the West."
Rhydfelin
According to BBC Wales, Sujan bought a house at Rhydyfelin near Pontypridd 10 years ago while he was a student and rented it out.
Former neighbours Donna and Nigel Davies were surprised at the news.
"He was a nice enough outgoing guy, always polite to us," Mrs Davies said.
"It was a hell of a shock - living next door to someone like that for four years and not knowing anything about it."
The leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
South Wales Police said it was aware of the reports of Sujan’s death and was working to ascertain what had happened.
Detective Supt Lee Porter said: “South Wales Police and the Counter Terrorism Unit (WECTU) have been made aware of press reports that Siful Haque Sujan may have been killed in Syria as a result of a drone strike.
“We are unable to confirm or deny the accuracy of these reports at this time but are currently working with our partners to ascertain what has happened.
“While we understand Mr Sujan had lived and worked in South Wales, he had left the UK in 2014 thus was not a resident of Wales at the time of his death.”
According to The Telegraph, Sujan was “a leading figure in the militants’ hacking campaign and their efforts to defeat surveillance and tracking by Western spy agencies”.
He became a senior militant figure when he replaced another leading Isil hacker from Britain, Junaid Hussain, who was killed by an air strike in August.
He left the UK in 2014.
A spokesman for the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “We are unable to verify these reports. The UK has advised for some time against all travel to Syria, where all UK consular services are suspended.
“As we do not have any representation in Syria, it is extremely difficult to get any confirmation of deaths or injuries.”
North Wales Police has launched a probe after the offensive slogans were found near the entrance to the Bangor Islamic Centre on the High Street
Racist graffiti has been daubed on the wall of a mosque sparking a police investigation.
The words: “ISIS dirty Muslim scum whites rule” were found scrawled on the Bangor Islamic Centre on High Street yesterday.
Members of the community took to Facebook to express their disgust.
A post in the People of Bangor Community Group said: “Yesterday someone wrote this on the wall as you enter the mosque in Bangor.
“Funny really, it was only a few days ago the mosque got together with the rest of Bangor to feed homeless and needy people on Christmas day.
The Bangor Islamic Centre
“Yes we do not celebrate Christmas, but there’s nothing wrong with putting food in peoples bellies... Whoever did this, I invite them to the mosque to see what actually happens in a mosque and what we do.”
Chief Inspector Mark Armstrong from North Wales Police said; “This incident is under investigation and we are liaising with the trustees of the centre. I would appeal to anyone who has information to call police on 101 quoting crime reference S199115.”
Latest figures show 18 Dragons supporters currently have bans, more than Southampton and Swansea, although just one was issued last season
Wrexham are third in the National League for fans receiving banning orders – a figure that is higher than 13 existing Premier League and Championship clubs.
However, during the 2014/15 season just one fresh banning order was issued to a Dragons supporter, latest figures show.
A total of 18 Wrexham fans are currently serving stadium bans which is beaten only by Lincoln City with 36 and Grimsby with 32, according to the Home Office.
Derby rivals Chester are one place below with 17 banning orders, while Tranmere Rovers have six – although that number has since increased after a fan was banned for repeatedly shouted racial slurs and attacking both a police officer and a steward at Wrexham in October.
Wrexham’s current total number of banning orders is higher than Premier League clubs such as Southampton, who have an average attendance of 30,000, Swansea and Norwich City.
Wrexham also have more banning orders than Scottish giants Rangers, whose current figure is 16.
Last season just one Wrexham fan was hit with a ban, placing the Dragons joint seventh in the league for new banning orders – behind promoted Bristol Rovers (31), Lincoln City (12), Chester (8), Grimsby (5), relegated Telford (4) and Aldershot Town (3).
A total of three football-related arrests involving Wrexham fans were made during the 2014/15 campaign, which equates to 3% of the league’s total.
Two were at home and one was away, with all three relating to public disorder offences.
A bulk of Wrexham’s 18 banning orders were issued after trouble erupted at the home derby clash with bitter rivals Chester in August 2013 – a fixture the Dragons lost 2-0.
In November of that year, seven supporters were banned for a total of 30 years from football matches for a number of offences including the displaying of offensive banners.
Levi Davidson, jailed for a spate of house burglaries in Rhyl
BYELWYN ROBERTS
Levi Davidson, 20, who disturbed a young girl during one of the break-ins in Rhyl, jailed for 24 months
A house burglar who crept into people’s homes in Rhyl while they slept was branded a mini crime wave by a crown court who jailed him.
Levi Andrew Davidson, 20, was sentenced to 26 months youth custody when he appeared at Mold Crown Court.
Judge Niclas Parry told him that his offending has escalated dramatically in seriousness.
Two had been committed while the occupants slept in their beds – and a child of three had been disturbed.
Then, while on bail, he committed a third burglary while the occupants slept, took car keys from the premises and drove off without a licence or insurance.
“Only a significant custodial sentence can be justified,” the judge said.
But he took into account his guilty pleas, that he was lightly convicted and had no previous convictions for house burglary.
The court heard that footwear linked the defendant to two of the burglaries.
He claimed he had come under pressure to commit the offences.
Davidson, of Maes Cwm in Rhyl, received concurrent ten month and 12 month sentences for house burglaries at LLys Bodnant and Penymaes in Rhyl – together with a consecutive 14 month sentence for a further burglary while on bail at Gellifor in Rhyl.
He also admitted theft, handling and handling stolen goods.
Prosecuting barrister Jade Tufail told how the burglaries in October and November had an effect on the occupants.
One told how she no longer felt safe in her own home.
At Llys Bodnant, the occupants woke up to find that a lap top had been stolen.
The same night a burglary occurred at Penymaes when the occupant woke up to deal with her crying child.
She heard footsteps downstairs and the front door opening and believed it was her husband.
But in the morning they found that e house had been burgled and her purse was found in a nearby garden.
While on bail, he burgled a house in Gellifor, Rhyl, while the occupants watched television. They keys to a Citroen vehicle were taken and the car was driven away.
On December 7 police attended a road accident at Dyserth Bends. No charges arose from that but the defendant was arrested and then linked to the burglaries.
Interviewed, he claimed that he was put under pressure to commit the burglaries and acted as part of a group.
Defending barrister Sarah Yates said that it was accepted that the fact that the burglaries were committed at night in occupied dwellings were aggravating features.
It was his case that he had got involved in the wrong crowd.
He owed money to them and in order to discharge the debt became involved in the offences.
Davidson had admitted what he had done in the magistrates’ court.
He suffered from anxiety, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity for which he had received counselling.
BRAZEN thieves have filled cars with thousands of pounds worth of fuel and driven away without paying.
Criminals have stolen £6,159 worth of petrol and diesel from filling stations throughout Wrexham and Flintshire since 2013 – and the majority have got away with it with many cases unsolved.
Of 108 incidents in the region, 75 remain unsolved, according to figures released by North Wales Police following a Freedom of Information inquiry by the Leader.
A total of 38 arrests have been made relating to the thefts with a number of those leading to people being charged or cautioned by officers.
Insp Julie Sheard, of North Wales Police, said: “Over the past two years, a forecourt initiative has been piloted across the force area to streamline investigations.
“It builds on relationships with fuel retailers and differentiates between when a crime has taken place and when an individual simply has no means to pay.
“This happens if someone refuels but has forgotten their wallet.
“The challenge is where incorrect details are provided to the retailer by the perpetrators or when a vehicle’s identifying marks have been altered.
“Our focus on fuel theft remains, working with retailers to ensure that thieves are identified and brought to justice.”
The highest number of incidents, as well as the highest amount of fuel snatched, took place in Flintshire with just under £4,000 worth of fuel stolen.
In Wrexham, fuel valued at £2,257.74 was taken from filling stations between 2013 and 2015.
Some of the highest value thefts included one incident in which a motorist stole £157 from a petrol station in Holywell and an undetected incident where
£188.67 was taken from a petrol station in Connah’s Quay.
But the figures appear to show a sharp decline in the number of incidents in the region during 2015 up until December, with just one incident in Flintshire and three in Wrexham during the period.
The highest number of incidents took place during 2013, where 52 incidents took place in Flintshire and 22 took place in Wrexham.
In May, three men were sentenced after being involved in a ‘planned and organised scam’ stealing petrol from forecourts across the region.
Dafydd Griffiths repeatedly breached a restraining order banning him from contacting his ex-partner
A MAN who persistently breached a restraining order which had been imposed after he tried to torch his ex-partner's house has been jailed for two years.
The non-contact order was put in place in 2011 after Dafydd Andrew Griffiths poured flammable liquid through the letterbox of a house his ex-girlfriend was staying in, and ignited it.
Swansea Crown Court heard the 34-year-old had already breached the order five times in the years since when he went to her house in Port Tennant on the evening of December 1.
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Carina Hughes, prosecuting, said Griffiths suddenly appeared at a window of his victim's home, shouting at her.
The woman was too frightened at what he might do to press the panic alarm in house — and instead hid behind a cupboard in the kitchen.
Later she plucked up courage to phone the police who arrived within minutes, and found Griffiths on nearby Kinley Street.
The court heard he initially denied he had been to his ex-partner's house, instead claming he was on the way to dinner at a friend's house and had been to Sainsbury's to buy a pepper.
Griffiths, of The Strand, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order when he appeared in the dock for sentencing today.
The court heard the order had been put in place in 2011 after Andrews had tried to torch a house in Mount Pleasant which was occupied by his ex- and three other people — an accelerant had been poured through the letterbox and set alight. The people in the house were unhurt.
The following year he breached the order for the first time buy writing to his former partner, and that was followed by a series of breaches from phone calls to shouting at her in the street.
Griffiths had only been out of prison for a short while after serving a prison sentence for a previous breach when he went to her Port Tennant house on December 1.
The court heard Griffiths has 33 previous convictions for 64 offences.
Paul Hobson, for Griffiths, said his client was "in increasing danger of completely wasting his life" and now accepted he needed to move on.
His Honour Judge Huw Davies QC told the defendant that restraining orders were to be taken seriously, and he was going to impose a sentence that would act as a deterrent to any future breaching.
He said: "You have shown contempt for the order and contempt for your former partner who wants to live a life free of your attentions."
The judge sentenced Griffiths to two years in prison.
