MaSHed SwEde

Firearms charges for Barry's 'Flying Vet'

Barry and District, Thursday 25th June 2009

BARRY’S 'Flying Vet' Maurice Kirk has been charged with alleged firearms offences.

The 64-year-old was charged on Tuesday night (June 23) and held in custody before appearing at Barry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (June 24). He was remanded in custody, to appear at Cardiff Crown Court the following day (Thursday), charged with possessing a firearm.

He appeared on Thursday morning in Cardiff, and was further remanded in custody, to appear again on July 6.

Kirk, who lives in St Donats, made headlines last year after landing his plane near George W Bush’s Texas ranch.

A South Wales Police spokeswoman said: “Officers attended an address in the St Donats area on Monday, June 22, as part of an ongoing investigation.

“A 64-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences.”

How to spend your MP expenses...

No 1 At the off-license

Barry man cleared of drug smuggling charges

Sharron Harris, Barry & District

A BARRY businessman who was locked up in prison for six months and accused of a crime he did not commit, has spoken of his ordeal.

Dax Frayne, company director of Creative Flooring Wales Ltd, in High Street, was remanded in Cardiff’s category B prison alongside men accused of rape, murder and assault, after police kicked in the door of his home and simultaneously raided his shop on December 10 last year.

Mr Frayne, of Woodlands Road, was sitting in his pyjamas watching television following a Christmas shopping trip to Cardiff earlier in the day when police burst in.

He marked his 40th birthday in prison and lost money already spent on a family holiday.

He is now seeking legal advice after a Cardiff Crown Court jury last week cleared him of smuggling cannabis with a street value of £360,000 in a coffee table brought in from Thailand.

Mr Frayne’s father, Douglas, of Salop Street, Penarth, admitted taking part in the smuggling operation and is awaiting sentence.

Dax Frayne said: “Six months they had me on remand in Cardiff, with the people I have tried to avoid all my life.”

He said he knew his father was importing illegal cigarettes, but was shocked when police showed him a 13-minute DVD showing ten large bags, containing 88.8kg of cannabis, being unpacked from furniture at Cardiff Airport. Mr Frayne said: “I thought my father was just bringing in contraband cigarettes when he asked to borrow a van from me.

“I had absolutely no idea drugs were involved.

“He’s 64 years old – never in a million years would I put him down for something like this.

“He got involved with the wrong people on the other side of the world.”

Mr Frayne, who owns several properties at Barry Island, said prosecution claims that he was massively in debt were untrue, and he had secured a £25,000 loan off the family’s house and had been working his way out of a loss incurred when a contract in Swansea went sour.

He said: “It was so frustrating to be standing in open court to hear them say you’ve been massively in debt.

“They were mortgages.

“I’ve never missed a payment on my house or on any of the properties in Barry Island.”

He added: “It was very scary.

“You are choking with emotion – you want to scream and shout at them ‘stop being pathetic.’ “I’ve got to take legal advice because I was unfairly dealt with.

“My mum offered to put her house up for bail and they were saying I was going to run away and interfere with witnesses.

“It was wrong and unfair.”

Speaking of the moment the jury returned their not guilty verdict, he said: “It was a weight lifted. I got very emotional.”

Mr Frayne said his whole family and wife Paula, 38, had endured strain since his arrest and that Paula had to assume the company director role.

He said they were very grateful to the local authority and other customers for remaining loyal to the business throughout.

“It was like being stuck in a washing-machine, thinking, ‘please get me out’,” he added.

“The whole episode was nothing short of disgraceful.”

Spring is almost here!

Beware the Holton Road

Jelly Belly!

And that's one of the nicer ones!

Imagine the scene... Holton Road, Monday, 3 o'clock, on the warmest giro day this year, the sound of Dow's siren in the faint distance. When outside Greggs, you're confronted by the Barry Jelly Belly! The owner of which devours a jumbo sausage roll whilst threatening her multi-coloured brats! Beware!

Anyone wanting to buy a

Mashed Swede Book,

Give us a shout,

I've got a few in.

I've also left a few for sale

up the Full Monty Cafe!

Just ask Deryn the Dwarf.

sad.ken@hotmail.co.uk

Mashed Swede -

The Book!