June 2006     Shouting through glass - the police and another 'Wales This Week' documentary.



Following the airing of the second documentary, the Thomases showed their fury.  Eddie left for work to the sounds of clapping and name calling.  When he reached the top gate he was met by our neighbour who was sitting in his vehicle staring menacingly whilst Eddie negotiated exiting onto the main road.  This had become our life, and as traumatic as it was, it was expected.  The local police clearly had taken a side and it was not ours.  Their attitude towards us was so similar to that of Carmarthen council, they could have been one and the same organisation.  Our life was hell.  We had nowhere to turn.  

We had lost all chance of having the two small businesses we had planned, and no chance of selling.  We were trapped with all control over our lives ruled by Carmarthen council, the neighbours, the police, and the CPS.  The funds we had set aside for the businesses were being swallowed up with legal bills.

The officer who was visiting us regularly from Dyfed Powys Professional Standards Police had watched the documentary at his brother in laws house.  He was appalled, as was his sister who voiced her opinion that the Thomases were trying to steal our home.  His wife was equally shocked and said no one is lifting a finger to help.  Opinions came flooding in, in support of us, but the very authorities who should have been showing support were silent. As both documentaries proved a haulage business was operating and that we were being victimised because we had voiced our deep concerns,  it was abundantly clear that Carmarthen Council were going to continue ignoring the proof both programmes had produced.  I was up against cover-up, at the highest level, but had no escape as we didn't even have the option of selling.

With more clear evidence of corruption, I believed that someone somewhere would put a stop to our nightmare and insist on an investigation into the growing scandal that was 'Blaenpant'.  Surely Ministers, who had been informed by my A.M. would ask questions of CCC.   It didn't happen.  Being the second documentary, plus the publicity these two programmes had generated, within the media overall, something was seriously wrong with the system in Wales when nobody in power asks one question following such exposure.   How could those in positions of power stay silent?  The team at Wales This Week were in total support of us as they were shocked at the silence from those who were very aware of the injustice we were suffering, and of course, had seen our evidence first hand.  It seemed to be the case that our neighbours were being supported by CCC who were being supported by the police who were being supported by the CPS!  We didn't have any support at all, we were left defenceless and on our own.

The intimidation showed no signs of abating, in fact, it became worse.  It was summer time and our fields needed cutting and we had asked our local farmer to come again.   He was obstructed from entering our driveway and told by Karen Thomas NOT to cut our fields - or else.   Even this didn't prompt a reaction from our local police.  There appeared to be no line over which the neighbours could not tread.  There were no boundaries for the Thomases.  They appeared to be exempt from all planning regulations and the law.  We felt like pawns.

Mr Dai Thomas from Police complaints was very concerned at the lack of support from the local police and regularly took statements from us about the way in which the police were behaving towards us.  Each time he visited I would always ask for his opinion.  I desperately needed to understand why we didn't have any support and why the Thomases were treated differently to us by all agencies.  I would always ask him to be absolutely honest with me and to tell me if I was wrong in my assumptions.   Without hesitation, he would say that I was not wrong, we were being treated differently, and that when he finished his report it would be damning to the police.

One could argue that some of the daily incidents could be classed as petty.   However, when such incidents/taunts take place every single day, and sometimes several times a day, over an eighteenth month period, they cease to become petty.  They affect every aspect of your own mental well being from the moment you wake as the awareness that something will happen that day takes over and puts you immediately in an anxious state of mind.   The overall effect of daily intimidation has a huge impact on your mental well being, where each day becomes a struggle through and through.   The cumulative effect of the intimidation took a huge toll on us both physically and mentally. We worried about our future, as we had no control over it now.

7th. October 06.      Karen Thomas and I had an altercation at the lower gate.  I wanted it open to go out and she wanted it closed so that I could not.  She had also put a number of ponies into the right of way to prevent me from leaving.    During this altercation, she accused me again, of assault.  Two police officers did attend this time, and I had the opportunity of showing them my own CCTV footage which proved no such assault took place.  PC Treherne viewed the footage and agreed there was no assault, and I recorded him admitting such. So that was that - or so I thought.  

20th. November 06    Another nasty incident occurred in Carmarthen whilst Eddie was working, which ended in AT assaulting two females who had become involved in the threatening behaviour of our neighbour.  He was arrested and charged with assault - and later found guilty.  He did appeal but unfortunately for him, the witness who was primed to conjure up a story for his appeal,  hadn't done his homework thoroughly, made several serious errors whilst telling his story to the Judge, and was found to be lying to the court.  The Judge said "people have come into court today to try and pull the wool over the court's eyes"   The Judge then doubled my neighbour's previous penalty.   

Speaks for itself

27th. November 06      My fifth arrest....I was told to attend Carmarthen Police Station to be interviewed under caution, where I was arrested for the fifth time on Karen Thomas's allegation of assault, (7th October) even though the arresting police officer had previously conceded that having seen the CCTV footage no assault took place.  I took with me the DVD evidence and asked that both police officers view the footage on my portable disc player, which would prove I should not have been arrested nor should I be in this interview.  They refused to view it.   I was placed on bail - again - for months.   Eventually told the CPS were not going to prosecute.  

26th. March 07  Cockerels began to appear under our bedroom window now that the pigs had gone.


The neighbours continued with their intimidation and the police continued to turn a blind eye to their threatening behaviour towards us. One such incident was the keeping of our very old little Beddie dog.  Karen Thomas had spotted her at the top of her drive and decided to keep her. Of course, we didn't know this, we thought she had gone missing. We were beside ourselves.  Eventually, she let her go but only after one very sleepless night.  Other incidents included cockerels appearing under our bedroom window, floodlights directed at our bedroom and so on...Other incidents included more tailgating, attempts to run us off the road, slurry deposited at our gate,  horse dung and mud smeared over gate handles, the list is shocking.

What had Carmarthen council unleashed upon us? It makes it all the more shocking that on the council's files there were reports of violence and intimidation towards others who had lived here before us.  The council had no excuse for not protecting us from this vile conduct of our neighbours. Of course, they were very aware why it was happening  (due to their corrupt practices) so it was either admit corruption or keep it covered up at our expense.  Every day was stressful and we were deeply unhappy/depressed.

2nd. May 07  My sixth arrest................It was a beautiful day and I was planning to go out.  I opened the gates in preparation as I always did.  The Thomases top gate was closed as usual, so I would still have to have stopped to negotiate that one.  I began walking away from the gates to collect my car when I heard a huge crash and kerfuffle.  I turned around and saw that Andrew Thomas had thrown open the top gate and had literally dragged a pony into the right of way.  As he did this he let go of the halter rope, shouted whilst waving his hands at the back of the pony and sent it running down towards me.  I was so shocked I couldn't gather my thoughts.  This is all played out on my own CCTV and camcorder footage.  The now very frightened pony tried to go back towards  Karen Thomas, who was also now in the right of way with her stable hand, but Andrew Thomas had other ideas and he shouted again at the pony whilst whipping its back-end forcing the poor thing onto my garden. The pony was very distressed and running all over my garden trying to get back up to the right of way area.   I wanted to get back to the cottage to ring the police but before I had reached my door Karen Thomas along with the other girl had marched down onto my garden area.  I believed Karen Thomas was going to push me as she was standing within inches of my face in a very threatening manner. 


I put out my hand telling her 'not to come into my space', to which she replied 'you've just assaulted me'.  and then rang the police on her mobile phone.  Once I'd gone inside, I pushed my police panic button and rang them too.  I believed the neighbours had gone too far and the police would support me in this, as this had been a very frightening scenario, and I could have been seriously hurt.    As the police had visited the Thomases first I fully expected they would have viewed their CCTV to confirm what had actually taken place.  When the police arrived at my door instead of supporting me, I was arrested - again, for assault, put in handcuffs and driven away.   As we reached the top of the right of way Karen Thomas and her stablehand were watching the police car drive me away and were laughing.   I was placed in a cell - again, this time for eight hours.  The police served another section 18, to search my home - again.  For what?  They took away our CCTV recording box. When Eddie had arrived home he noticed my camcorder in the kitchen and when he had looked at it and seen my ordeal, he took it immediately to my solicitor.  When my solicitor told me they had handed over the camcorder footage to the police, I believed I would be de-arrested and released.   Will they now arrest the Thomases?  Of course not.  I was put on bail - again, for months.  Having spent more months in an anxious state of mind the CPS decided not to prosecute. 

Shockingly, the Thomases were never arrested for what they did that day even though the filmed evidence was inarguable.

The CCTV evidence and my camcorder evidence proved the Thomases to be deliberately driving a pony at me, on my own property, and behaving in a very threatening manner.  It is shocking behaviour by police officers to have deliberately ignored evidence and not arrested both Thomases for endangering my life. This can be seen on one of the television documentaries.  I would find it hard to believe if this was happening to someone else!  This unjust treatment of me was a witchhunt and was designed to discredit me and break me down.   This type of smear has been used from time immemorial when certain people have knowledge that could harm those in positions of authority..

With the amount of clear actual evidence from witnesses, CCTV and camcorder footage, it is staggering that the Thomases were never arrested for the shocking things they did to us over this period of time. 

Sixth arrest

August 07    Another planning application for yet another (agricultural) shed. The reasons for this shed were identical to those given for the first shed......'storage of hay and agricultural implements'. 

I had opposed this application stating that as Blaenpant had already been given approval (on appeal) for a shed in which to store hay and agricultural implements, why the need for another shed. 

However, just like the first shed - it was refused by the planning committee due to very little agriculture.  We were justified in feeling absolutely relieved that yet again the planning committee had refused this application on the grounds of very little agriculture.

The first shed which was being used in an unauthorised manner (horse stabling) had already devalued our property due to its size and situation.  It was very worrying, therefore, that another shed of a similar size was going to impact upon our property even further if approved.  Two different estate agents had publicly stated that due to the sheds and the neighbour's record of intimidation upon whoever lived here, devalued our property by a third.   This was prior to another gigantic shed being approved. 

25th. November 07      It was a very cold night and suddenly our heating stopped working.  As it was oil fed and we had recently had an oil delivery, it was a cause for concern.  Eddie went to check the oil tank.  It had been vandalised.  There was a small piece of wood caught in between the pipe and the outlet suggesting that a long piece of wood had been used, hit with something like a sledgehammer, and a piece had broken off.  There was no oil left in the tank, it had all drained away.  I wonder who could have been responsible?   Obviously the police were called, but of course, there was no evidence to suggest who had criminally damaged our oil tank. Whoever had done this had caused £1.800 worth of damage.  We were without heating for weeks until the insurance claim went through and we had a new tank. 

Broken and twisted pipe showing a piece of wood broken off from whatever was used to break the pipe.

As Andrew Thomas had previously torn my camcorder away from me and stamped it into the ground, with no consequence, ( even though this could be also be observed on CCTV, albeit not clearly,) he would have presumed he didn't have to fear the law.  He had criminally damaged our gate (on CCTV) with zero consequence.  The police let us down of that there is no doubt.  


Our problems continued with haulage operations continuing - weekends spent listening to welding - power hosing of HGVs - maintenance continued and as did the unauthorised quarrying.  I for my part desperately tried to get some form of monitoring carried out from the council, especially as the haulage operations had been proven, not just by myself with filmed evidence, but also from the Vehicle Operator Services Agency who did monitor and confirmed that lorries were being operated from Blaenpant.  I'd also sent the council Karen Thomases admission in court that she was using Blaenpant as a haulage yard and our representative from country Landowners had also informed the council that she had witnessed a haulage yard as well as confirming that they were definitely not operating from their official address.   Letters together with more evidence were regularly sent, but I was shouting through glass. It couldn't have been more obvious that Carmarthen Council had given the Thomases carte blanche to carry on regardless of planning regulations. It stands to reason that as Carmarthen council were embroiled in shady deals with Blaenpant, they had to lie to anyone who questioned the activities taking place there.

With our civil case still ongoing against the neighbours to have our right of way unobstructed, life for us was exceedingly pressurised and stressful, watching ever more of our funds being dwindled away, and our own lives out of our control.

December 2007    It was abundantly clear that once more the planning committee's decision was irrelevant as on both occasions it was ignored. They had rightly refused this second shed in the same way as they had refused the first shed.  But......there is always someone waiting in the wings to pull the strings for the Thomases to make sure they have what they want.

In stepped the Head of Planning, Eifion Bowen and just as before with the Planning Inspector, he made sure that the Thomases would have all they wanted.  He simply overruled the planning committee's decision and gave the go-ahead for the second enormous shed.  Just ticked it off!!!!!