A man launched a vicious and unprovoked attack on a delivery driver which left his victim with a fractured and dislocated jaw and "broken" teeth. Ashley Davies repeatedly punched the man in the face but he has little recollection of the assault due to his level of intoxication - at the time of the street attack he was routinely drinking 20 cans of beer and a bottle of vodka every day.
The victim of the assault said before becoming a driver he had been a police officer for more than 20 years and, while he had been assaulted during his policing career, he had never been subjected to the level of violence meted out by Davies. The defendant's advocate told the court that the defendant knows he needs to tackle his alcohol consumption or he will end up "in an early grave".
Swansea Crown Court heard Davies attacked his victim near Mount Pleasant Park in Neath in October last year. Harry Dickens, prosecuting, said the victim was unable to park his company van outside his house and so parked a little distance away and began to walk home. However as he walked home he realised he had left something in the vehicle so went back to retrieve it.
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The court heard that as the delivery driver approached the van he saw a group of three people - two women and the defendant - standing near the vehicle talking loudly. The prosecutor said it seemed to the driver that the male was "agitated" and the women were trying to calm him down. Mr Dickens said as the victim approached the group Davies walked up to him and said "Do you have a problem?" before launching an "entirely unprovoked" assault during which he repeatedly punched the van driver in the face using both fists.
The victim was able to get away from Davies and made his way home where he called 999, though due to the damage done to his jaw he struggled to make himself understood on the phone. Police officers were on the scene within 10 minutes but the requested ambulance could not attend due to the level of demand on the ambulance service and so police took the casualty to hospital. The court heard the victim subsequently needed surgery to repair his broken and dislocated jaw and spent four days in hospital. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
In an impact statement from the victim which was read to the court he said he had just been "minding my own business" when he was attacked for no reason. He said he suffered nightmares and flashbacks as a result of the assault, and had to take 15 days off work. He said part of his job as a delivery driver involved meeting people and he was conscious of the "broken and crooked teeth" he had been left with. He added that before becoming a driver he had served in the police for two decades and though he had been assaulted in that role he had never been subjected to the level of violence he experienced that day.
Ashley David John Davies, aged 31, formerly of Heol Llwynon, Caerwern, Neath, but now of HMP Swansea had previously pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 17 previous convictions for 23 offences including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, using violence to gain entry to a property, battery, and racially aggravated assault. At the time of the Neath assault he was subject to a community order for previous offending.
Rhodri Chudleigh, for Davies, said the defendant has had issues with alcohol for many years and at the time of incident was typically consuming 20 can of beer and a bottle of vodka every day. As a result of what Davies had drunk, he said his client has "very little recollection" of what happened on the day in question. The advocate said Davies was the father of three children - including an 18-month-old - and realises "he needs to change his ways or he will end up in an early grave".
Reorder Mark Powell KC said Davies had caused "serious damage" by the "unprovoked and senseless attack" including a fractured and dislocated jaw and broken teeth. He told the defendant it was "your call" as to whether he did change his life and address his drinking. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea Davies was sentenced to two years in prison - he will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
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