The first crime in living memory to be recorded on a holy island off the coast of west Wales has resulted in a man receiving a fine and community order.
The 45-year-old man became the first convicted criminal on tiny Caldey Island, which has a population of 40 and is home to an order of monks who follow a vow of silence.
The visitor, who was on a day trip from Dudley, West Midlands, admitted assaulting his seven-year-old son during a day trip to the monks’ “chocolate factory”, a large kitchen where some produce handmade treats. He confessed to grabbing his son by the neck, slapping him and frogmarching him away.
He was freed with a £200 fine and a community order after he apologised to the monks for disturbing their peace. He told a court at Haverfordwest on the mainland that he was “very sorry” for the offence.
Such is the remote nature of the island that when police were called officers had to be taken on an RNLI lifeboat to the island, two miles off the resort of Tenby, to make an arrest.
The prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the child had been diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and had been “quite naughty” on the day in question.
He said the father was trying to tell him to behave, but his actions went beyond “reasonable chastisement”.
He said: “He picked him up by the neck so that he could look him in the eye and tell him off. He appears to have been in quite a rage.”
A witness said the man had shown a “considerable amount of aggression” and frightened nearby children.
After being arrested and taken to the mainland, the father broke down during a police interview and said he would never hurt his son.
The defence lawyer Mike Kelleher said his client had apologised for his offence and accepted he may have “gone too far”.
Kelleher said the father had been dealing with a child who was unaware what could place himself or others in danger. “It’s a very, very unfortunate incident,” he said.
“As a result of this incident, the help and assistance that this family has been asking for, for a very long time, has suddenly come into place. It’s a shame that did not happen before.”
Magistrates imposed an 18-month community order with 20 rehabilitation requirement days and a £200 fine. The father was also ordered to pay £85 court costs and an £85 victim surcharge.
At the time of the incident, John Cattini, 65, the island’s commercial manager, said: “This is the first crime in court I can recall and I’ve been here more than 40 years.
“I’m glad to say I didn’t witness it but I’m sorry to say I was told about it. It is very sad. We are happy to say we live here very peacefully. This person was a visitor and it is a sign of the modern world, I expect.”
Caldey, which is a mile and a half long, has been a religious retreat since the first monastery was set up there 1,500 years ago. Around 3,000 visitors make the boat ride that operates from April to October to enjoy the prized homemade chocolate, perfume and shortbread made by the Cistercian monks.
The monks take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and observe a rule of silence between the hours of 7pm to 7am.
