A TRIAL has been set for a man who is alleged to have breached a community protection notice in a dispute over freeman ownership of land.

The man in question has titled himself ‘King Arthwys the First’.

Police are prosecuting Matt Christopher, 34, of no fixed abode, in relation to 'having made several breaches of a community protection notice'.

The notice covered an area of land district judge Mr Simon Morgan described as ‘immense’, with the disputed area being within a five-mile radius of the Cleddau River.

Among the requirements of the order, Christopher was required not to approach or communicate with residents whose properties are within the specified area, not to deface anything within the specified area, not to harass, alarm or distress affected residents, and not to obstruct or impede any person using the land.

Christopher has his own interpretation of who the disputed land belongs to. He says he follows the ‘law’ of Tŷ un nos.

Tŷ un nos law is an old Welsh tradition which says if a person can build a house on common land in one night, the land then belongs to them as a freehold.

Other variations on the tradition are that the test of ownership is if a fire burns in a hearth by the following morning then the squatter can extend the land around by the distance they can throw an axe from the four corners of the house.

Christopher claimed that common land which is unused can be claimed, which he did, referring to the disputed land as his ‘royal residence’ of ‘Kingdom Cymru’ and that he was ‘King Arthwys the First’.

According to him, the pathways which cross the land were his, but he gave permissive rights for people to use them, and he was the one that made the pathways safe.

He also believes he owns the gates around the ‘common land’ and that police are denying his freeman status.

Christopher was present at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on March 10 as the court arranged a trial hearing for the case.

An appeal date for Christopher has been set for May 30 and the trial is set for June 20. Both hearings are to be held at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court.

Christopher was released on conditional bail not to contact certain members of the public.

The case continues.