A man who punched and bit his partner before spitting in the mouth and eyes of a security guard has been sentenced to 25 months in prison. Trevor Hegarty, 30, appeared at Swansea Crown Court after pleading guilty to unlawful wounding and battery.
The Attack on His Partner
The court heard that in the early hours of April 20, the victim woke Hegarty to tell him she had dropped some cocaine she was preparing. He responded by swearing at her, calling her a 'whore,' and then repeatedly punching her in the face, pulling her hair, and biting her hard on her left ear. When she tried to flee the tent, Hegarty dragged her back inside and refused to let her leave.
The couple later fell asleep, but the woman woke to find Hegarty 'cleaning her face.' Another struggle ensued, and she managed to throw herself out of the tent as Hegarty grabbed her legs. She escaped and ran to the Civic Centre reception to report the assault.
Spitting on the Security Guard
Two security guards went to the tent to detain Hegarty until police arrived. He initially ran off but returned, becoming aggressive and threatening to stab the guards while reaching into his waistband. Fearing he had a knife, one guard tackled him to the ground and restrained him in a bear hug. Hegarty then threatened to kill the guard before spitting in his eyes and mouth and biting him on the arm.
In an impact statement, the guard said being spat on made him feel 'degraded and disgusted.' He feared catching an infectious disease and spent the evening repeatedly showering and vigorously brushing his teeth. He also avoided kissing his daughter goodnight out of fear of passing on anything from Hegarty.
High Risk of Reoffending
The court heard that Hegarty has been assessed as posing a high risk of committing serious harmful offences, and that risk cannot be managed in the community. He has 15 previous convictions for 36 offences, including racially-aggravated public disorder, burglary, theft, and assault on a former partner.
In December 2024, he was sentenced to 14 months for pressurising a vulnerable woman and stealing her trainers. In February 2025, he received four months for 10 shoplifting offences. He was on licence when he committed the Civic Centre offences.
Sentencing
Judge Christopher Vosper KC noted that rehabilitation in the community was not realistic. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas, Hegarty was sentenced to 25 months in prison: 24 months for wounding and one month for battery, to run consecutively. He will serve up to half the sentence before release on licence.
