
Four defendants appear in court from Newport and Caerphilly
Their cases were heard in the magistrates' courts in Newport, Cwmbran and Cardiff.
Here's a round-up of their cases.
NICKY JAMES, 49, of Argosy Close in Newport, admitted speeding on the same stretch of the M5 five times in just over a week.
James fell foul of a 50mph local traffic order on the southbound carriageway at Willand in Devon on December 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12.
The defendant pleaded guilty to each offence, and was sentenced to pay a total fine of £300 and £85 in costs at Newport Magistrates' Court on July 8.
James also racked up three points for each offence, and has been banned from driving for six months.
GAVIN GREENSILL, 38, of Munnings Drive in Newport, was found to have twice refused to identify a van driver when required by police.
Greensill was charged with two offences of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle when required on July 2 and 15 last year.
The charges related to the identity of the driver of a Ford Transit who was suspected of committing motoring offences.
The offences had been proved using the single justice procedure on March 18, but Greensill pleaded guilty when the case came back to Cwmbran Magistrates' Court on July 8.
He must pay £90 in costs and received six points for each offence, but avoided a disqualification as this would cause him to lose his job and would have a substantial impact on his family.
A 13-YEAR-OLD from Newport, who cannot be identified due to their age, admitted stealing deodorant from Tesco.
The teenager made off with six cans of deodorant from Tesco in Newport on March 4.
They also admitted a charge of assault by beating, following an incident with a man on March 5.
The defendant admitted both offences and was sentenced to a four-month youth referral order at Cwmbran Magistrates' Court on July 8.
They must also pay £50 in compensation to the victim of the assault, and £9 in compensation to Tesco.
SIAN PRICE, 35, of Beech Court in Bargoed, was caught drink-driving.
Price was driving a Vauxhall Corsa on the A4106 at Bridgend on June 21. When breathalysed, she recorded having 70 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – twice the legal limit of 35.
She pleaded guilty at Cardiff Magistrates' Court on July 8, and was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 in costs, and a £48 surcharge.
Price was also banned from driving for three years.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Four in court from Newport, Pontypool, and Newbridge
The four defendants were charges with offences including drug-driving, criminal damage, being in charge of a vehicle whilst unfit through drugs, and refusing to identify a driver for police. Their cases were heard at Newport Magistrates' Court and Cwmbran Magistrates' Court. Here's a round-up of the cases. DALE PEARCE, 40, of Waunddu in Pontnewynydd, was under the influence of cocaine when in charge of a car on the A4042. Pearce was in charge of a Mercedes E350 on the A4042 at Pontypool on September 16 last year. When tested, he recorded having 24 micrograms of cocaine per litre (µg/L) of blood and 240µg/L of benzoylecgonine - the main metabolite of cocaine. The legal limits – to exclude accidental exposure – are 10µg/L and 50µg/L respectively. He was also accused of possession of amphetamine – a Class B drug – on that date. Pearce pleaded guilty to all three offences, and was ordered to pay a total fine of £200, £300 in costs, and an £80 surcharge. He also had 10 points added to his licence at Newport Magistrates' Court on July 8, and a forfeiture and destruction order was made for the amphetamine. RICHARD ELSEY, 44, of Meredith Terrace in Newbridge, has been banned from the roads after being caught drug-driving in Caerphilly. Elsey was driving a Renault Trafic on Caerphilly Road in Ystrad Mynach on August 20, 2023. When tested, he recorded having 207µg/L of benzoylecgonine in his blood – more than four times the limit. He pleaded guilty on June 30, and was fined £833 at Newport Magistrates' Court on July 8. Elsey must also pay £85 in costs and a £333 surcharge, and he was disqualified from driving for 17 months. A 13-YEAR-OLD from Newport, who cannot be identified due to their age, has admitted criminal damage. The teenager damaged a CCTV camera at Nos Da Bakery in Newport on December 28. They pleaded guilty at Cwmbran Magistrates' Court on July 8, and were sentenced to a four-month Youth Referral Order. They must also pay £150 in compensation. GABRIEL NICULAE, 20, of King Street in Newport, was found to have twice refused to identify a driver when required by police. Niculae was charged with two offences of failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver of a vehicle when required on July 3 and 10 last year. The charges related to the identity of the driver of a Nissan Micra who was suspected of committing motoring offences. Both charges were proved using the single justice procedure on March 18, and Niculae was ordered to pay a £660 fine, £90 in costs, and a £264 surcharge when his case came back to Cwmbran Magistrates' Court for sentence on July 8. Niculae also received six points for each offence, meaning he was banned from driving for six months for accumulating too many points.

Western Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
In court from Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, and Fishguard
The four defendants were charged with offences including drug-driving, riding a motorbike without L plates despite only having a provisional licence, and causing a car to be left in a dangerous position. Their cases were heard at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court. For the latest crime and court news for west Wales, you can join our Facebook group here. Here's a round-up of the cases. KAMERON HAWKRIDGE, 24, of Hazelbeach Road in Waterston, was riding a motorbike without learner plates and whilst under the influence of cannabis. Hawkridge was riding a Yamaha SR on the A4075 near Yerbeston on March 22. The court heard that, despite only holding a provisional licence, Hawkridge was not displaying an L plate on his bike. This meant that he was also riding without a valid insurance policy. When tested, Hawkridge recorded having 7.7 micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre (µg/L) of blood. The legal limit – to exclude accidental exposure – is 2µg/L. Hawkridge admitted drug-driving, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, and driving without insurance at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court on July 1. He was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 in costs, and a £48 surcharge, and has lost his licence for 12 months. COURTNEY DOWNING, 22, of Boundary View in Pembroke Dock, has been banned from the roads for three years after being caught drug-driving. Downing was behind the wheel of a Renault Clio on Pill Road in Milford Haven. When tested, she recorded having 4.1µg/L of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in her blood – more than double the legal limit of 2µg/L. The case came before Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court on July 1, and Downing pleaded guilty to driving whilst under the influence of cannabis. She was sentenced to pay a £120 fine, £85 in costs and a £48 surcharge, and was disqualified from driving for three years. KEVIN MACDONALD, 27, of Allt Y Carne in Goodwick, was caught drug-driving on the A40. MacDonald was driving a Vauxhall Corsa on the A40 at Scleddau on December 4. When tested, he recorded having 316µg/L of benzoylecgonine - the main metabolite of cocaine - and 22µg/L of ketamine in his blood. The legal limits for these are 50µg/L and 20µg/L respectively. He was also accused of causing his car to be left in a dangerous position on the A40 at Scleddau on that date, in such that there was a risk of it causing injury to other road users. MacDonald pleaded guilty to all three offences, and was sentenced to a one-year community order at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court on July 1. As part of this, he must complete a 12-month mental health treatment programme and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also ordered to pay a £120 fine, costs of £85 and a £114 surcharge, and was banned from driving for 20 months. KRISTIN MORANT, 39, of Garnlas in Fishguard, was under the influence of cannabis whilst behind the wheel. Morant was driving a Volvo XC90 on the A40 at Trefgarne on January 16. When tested, she recorded having 4.9µg/L of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in her blood – more than double the 2µg/L limit. The defendant pleaded guilty, and was disqualified from driving for 12 months at Haverfordwest Magistrates' Court on July 1. She was also fined £120, and must pay £85 in costs and a £48 surcharge.


Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Supermarkets to be named and shamed for abuse of parking rules at stores this month
Disabled people across Britain have the opportunity to name and shame supermarkets where they suffer a specific type of abuse. The issue in question has become prevalent in recent years, with cases of fraud, misuse and threatening behaviour increasing by over 1,000 per cent since 2016. Now a charity is inviting disabled drivers and those they travel with to provide feedback on their experience of flagrant rule breaking when visiting Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl stores between now and the middle of August. Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK) has launched a survey for people to review misuse of disabled parking bays at the six major supermarkets, which are designated for Blue Badge holders only. Those with permits have been reporting nationwide problems when trying to access these spaces, with drivers without Blue Badges selfishly using bays because they are typically those closest to the store - and then become aggressive when approached by people needing them most. Statistics show than the Blue Badge scheme itself is being 'shockingly' exploited, with permit thefts on the rise and reported instances of abuse growing from hundreds per year to over 3,500 cases by 2023. DMUK says the findings from its study will be shared with supermarket bosses and made public 'to raise awareness and help drive positive policy change'. The charity says supermarkets and operators of their private car parks often lack a commitment to prioritising improvements to accessibility barriers suffered by disabled drivers. This is despite the fact they are using their wide-ranging resources to chase 14.4million drivers each year for breaking car park rules regarding the duration they stay or how late they return to their vehicles. Exclusive analysis by This is Money earlier this month found that 40,000 tickets per day worth up to £100 are being issued by these private parking companies - but DMUK says they are fundamentally failing disabled motorists by not enforcing Blue Badge bays at these locations. This week, it launched its 'Baywatch' campaign to highlight the ongoing abuse of disabled parking bays and Blue Badge misuse at supermarkets, calling for greater operator accountability. With little evidence of enforcement of disabled bays, visitors entitled to use them are sometimes 'feeling pressured to put their personal safety at risk by challenging disabled bay abuse,' DMUK said. The charity says supermarkets and operators of their private car parks often lack a commitment to prioritising improvements to accessibility barriers suffered by disabled drivers A report published in June estimates that for every disabled parking bay in the UK, there are currently 52 permit holders, with many reporting a daily scramble to access the limited spaces available. As such, two in five disabled customers have been forced to leave car parks because there were no available suitable spaces. More than a third (36 per cent) reported non-badge holders occupying accessible bays, according to a recent report. According to a report by The Purple Pound, supermarkets lose £501million a month through lack of accessibility for disabled visitors. 'Accessible parking bays aren't just a nice-to-have - they're a lifeline. Without them, so many disabled people are shut out of everyday life, whether that's getting to work, buying food, going to appointments, or just being part of their community,' explains Dr Shani Dhanda, an award-winning disability inclusion and accessibility specialist. 'When bays are misused or not properly enforced, it sends a really clear message that our access and independence aren't a priority. 'Baywatch matters because it's not just raising awareness - it's holding people to account and pushing for real change.' Shocking abuse experienced by disabled drivers Members of DMUK have been sharing their own personal experiences of visiting supermarkets, with tales ranging from the disappointing to downright alarming. Andy S said he had witnessed a father and adult daughter getting out of a car parked in a disabled bay with no blue badge in the windscreen. 'My daughter politely asked if they had forgotten to put the BB on display, the abuse that followed was disgusting,' he explained. 'I then approached the man and received the same. 'Security [in the supermarket] witnessed it and did nothing. I thought it was going to get physical [so] I walked away.' Another male DMUK member detailed the difficulties he struggled during one visit. 'I went to a supermarket, which had 25 blue badge bays, all were full, only 10 cars had badges the rest had no badges on display, the supermarket said the car park was policed by a private company. 'I had to try parking elsewhere; it caused problems when my wheelchair lift blocked the car park access road.' DMUK Member, Joyce K explained: 'I went to the supermarket to go shopping with one of my carers and the disabled bays were all full, there were six bays, only four had blue badges on display. 'When I confronted one of the drivers I was given abuse and told she would park where she wanted, the lady then walked off to go to cashpoint and other shops, I drove away. 'I tried to report it to the store only to be told the car park didn't belong to them so they couldn't do anything about it.' Mary T detailed a very similar scenarios at a supermarket. 'I witnessed disabled bays being used by Uber/cab drivers as pick-up spots, plus a staff member eating his lunch in a car with no blue badge. I spoke to a person who identified as a supervisor and was rudely told he didn't care… I emailed the supermarket Customer Relations which was not replied too,' she said. Misuse of Blue Badge scheme is rife In May, the British Parking Association (BPA) - the body representing private parking operators - said it is witnessing startlingly high instances of misuse and fraud by dishonest motorists who are 'undermining the integrity of the Blue Badge scheme' and making 'day to day life more difficult for those who genuinely need it'. It also highlighted that the number of blue badges stolen in London alone increased by 400 per cent between 2014 and 2023, with the victims of this crime being those that rely on accessible parking in order carry out vital everyday activities. The BPA is now calling on local authorities and councils to be given greater ability and mechanisms to effectively tackle the issue and put a stop to this ongoing abuse. 'Perpetrators are currently not deterred by the limited consequences for their action,' the trade body said. The association has called on the Government to review the civil and criminal powers and resources available to tackle the problem, including consideration for introduction of penalty charges commensurate with the social impact of Blue Badge misuse. This is Money raised the statistics with the Department for Transport. A DfT spokesperson said: 'Exploitation of the Blue Badge scheme is completely unacceptable – it is a vital resource helping many people travel with confidence. 'We are supporting the police to tackle this issue by working closely with local authorities and have strengthened their powers to help them tackle fraud and misuse.' Participants who complete the Baywatch survey between 21 July and 15 August will be entered into a prize draw to win one of two £50 M&S gift cards and are encouraged to complete the survey multiple times during the campaign. A link to the survey can be found here