Two men who brutally beat a man in a 'cowardly' two-on-one attack in Swansea city centre have avoided immediate prison sentences, with a judge telling them they escaped 'by the skin of your teeth'.
Attack on Wind Street
The victim had been socialising on Swansea's Wind Street with his partner and her female friend on the night of July 27, 2024. In the early hours of the following morning, the trio went to find a taxi to take them home. On Union Street, they saw a group of males, one of whom was urinating in a shop doorway. One of the women told the urinator to stop as there were police officers nearby, but was met with abuse.
When the victim stepped in to defend her, he was attacked by Harvey Thomas and Ryan Cousins, who repeatedly punched and kicked him. The attack left him bloodied and bruised. Police arrived at the scene moments later, and the defendants ran off but were chased down and arrested.
Injuries and Impact
The victim was taken to Morriston Hospital's accident and emergency unit with loose and fractured teeth, and a gash in his lip that required stitches under local anaesthetic. He was later referred to maxillofacial experts who fitted wires to his upper teeth. In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said he had a tooth removed as a result of the assault and suffered nerve damage that may require further dental surgery. He said he experienced flashbacks, felt constantly on edge, and his emotional wellbeing had 'suffered massively'.
Court Proceedings
Harvey Thomas, 22, of Arfryn, Upper Brynamman, Ammanford, and Ryan Cousins, also 22, of Heol Cwmaman, Garnant, Ammanford, both pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Neither has any previous convictions.
Ieuan Rees, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court the defendants had engaged in 'drunken and loutish behaviour'. David Singh, for Thomas, acknowledged his client 'had not covered himself in glory' with comments in the pre-sentence report, but said he worked as a labourer and would be 'thoroughly ashamed' when his mother learned the details. Giles Hayes, for Cousins, said his client was 'extremely intoxicated' on the night and that his actions 'goes completely against the grain' of his upbringing.
Sentencing
Judge Paul Thomas KC noted neither defendant 'had the guts' to be honest in their pre-sentence reports, with Thomas giving a 'fairy tale account' and Cousins a 'cock and bull story'. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty plea, Thomas was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for two years, 200 hours of unpaid work, and a rehabilitation course. Cousins, with a one-third discount for an earlier plea, received 18 months suspended for two years, 100 hours of unpaid work, a rehabilitation course, and a 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement.
