A 58-year-old woman has been sentenced for grievous bodily harm after unleashing a violent assault on a man in a pub, fracturing his shinbone and tearing a knee ligament. The attack, which the victim described as being carried out by a “crazed wild animal”, stemmed from a historic parking dispute.
Attack at the Belle Vue Pub
Mark Davies, 51, was socialising with friends and family at the Belle Vue pub in Merthyr Tydfil town centre on the night of August 9 last year. Beverley Wright was present with her partner and a friend. According to prosecutor Mike Powell, Wright sat near Mr Davies and shouted words to the effect of: “You and your f***ing problems.”
The prosecutor said: “Witnesses suggested she shouted the comment ‘have you got a problem with me’ and Mr Davies replied ‘yes’, referring to a previous parking dispute.”
Origin of the Dispute
Mr Davies told WalesOnline that the dispute originated from a single incident years earlier when he placed cones outside his house for a few minutes to allow a delivery driver access for wardrobes and beds. He said: “Just one time I laid out cones so the delivery driver would have access. My neighbour at the time was friends with Beverley, who was visiting that day. There was still space on the street to park, but for some reason Beverley threw the cones to the side.”
Mr Davies considered this a minor incident and claimed he always spoke to Wright amicably when he saw her around Merthyr. He was shocked when she appeared implacably irate at the pub, denying he brought up the parking incident before she began shouting about his “problems”.
The Assault
The prosecutor described the CCTV footage: “Words were exchanged and Mr Davies took out his mobile phone as if to record what was taking place. At that point you see in the CCTV footage how Miss Wright tries to knock the phone from his hand.” A male believed to be her partner then attempted a similar act. The footage shows Wright delivering multiple blows to Mr Davies’ head.
“He appears to move from the chair he is sat on, going downwards, and you can see Miss Wright delivering multiple blows downwards towards Mr Davies. Door staff become involved and escort Miss Wright and her partner out of the premises,” added Mr Powell.
During the assault, Mr Davies became “trapped between table and chair”, causing severe pain in his right leg. He had to be carried from the pub by a family member and also sustained “a few wounds to his face”.
The victim said: “The first few blows were with her knuckles and then she clubbed me with her wrist three or four times. I was unconscious for a few seconds before my brother slapped me gently to wake me up.”
Injuries and Impact
At the hospital, tests revealed a fracture to his right shinbone and a tear to a knee ligament. He spent time in a plaster cast and then a leg brace. In his victim personal statement, Mr Davies said: “That night has changed my life forever. I feel I will never be the same again. I am in constant pain in my knee and all basic activities are painful. I often have to sit after 15 minutes of activity due to my knee cramping. I am lucky the healing went well enough that I didn’t need surgery, but I am having long-term physio appointments.”
He added: “I did not understand why it happened. I will never forget the look in her eyes when she was above me, assaulting me like she was never going to stop. She looked like a crazed wild animal. I couldn’t stop thinking about my kids. I was just thinking, ‘Please stop.’ I should never have been made to feel like I may not come home.”
Court Proceedings
Wright, of Haydn Terrace, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm without intent. Her solicitor, Josie Flicker, claimed Mr Davies had given her client “a stinking look” in the pub, prompting her to “challenge him”. According to Wright, she only “went for” Mr Davies to stop him “going for” her partner. In her police interview, she denied causing the cuts to his face and falsely alleged that “his wife must have battered him”.
Ms Flicker said the footage showed Mr Davies pointing at her client before the assault, which she described as a “spontaneous and short-lived” incident. She also told the court that Wright had been “trolled” on social media with comments calling her a “fatty” and claiming she would soon be behind bars. Mr Davies vehemently denied any involvement in the online comments and said he was considering legal options over the false suggestion that his wife had assaulted him.
Ms Flicker asked the magistrates not to impose a curfew, noting that one of Wright’s children was due to start university far from home, requiring overnight travel to visit.
Sentence
Presiding Justice Mary Morris described the attack as “a very nasty incident”. She imposed a 16-week jail term suspended for 12 months and ordered Wright to pay £1,000 compensation to the victim. The court did not impose a victim services surcharge or prosecution costs to prioritise compensation. Wright was permitted to pay the compensation at £25 per month due to her income from benefits.
