A man was stabbed in the neck during a row that broke out in the middle of a road in Swansea city centre, with the attacker now jailed for six years.
Attack on St Helen's Road
Craig Godfrey and Michaela Nicholls were walking near the YMCA building on St Helen's Road shortly after 6am on August 13 this year when they encountered Miss Nicholls' former partner. She was in possession of a dog chain while Godfrey was holding a knife in his hand.
A row broke out between the trio and the complainant threw a punch at Godfrey before Nicholls encouraged Godfrey to strike back. Despite thinking he had merely been punched, the victim soon realised there was a substantial amount of blood on his clothing. He had in fact been stabbed by Godfrey, who had inflicted a 6-7cm laceration to the left side of his neck.
Court Details and Sentencing
At a sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, October 26, prosecution barrister Craig Jones said the victim has been left with a visible scar and no feeling in the left side of his face following the attack. He has also been diagnosed with PTSD and prescribed medication by his doctor.
CCTV played to the court showed Godfrey and the stabbing victim fighting as traffic and pedestrians tried to get around them as they moved back and forth between the middle of the road and the pavement. The court heard that when Godfrey, 36, was arrested later on the day of the offence, he told officers to “stick it up your f****** a***”.
In mitigation, defence barrister Stuart John said that Godfrey's “alcohol misuse and some mental health problems contributed to his actions on the day in question”. For Nicholls, David Singh said his client was addicted to heroin until 2018 and started drinking heavily earlier this year when her children were taken into care. He said she “bitterly regrets her behaviour”.
Separate Offences and Sentences
In a separate case, Nicholls, 34, along with Gary Robertson, 51, carried out a spate of offences on the morning of September 1 this year. One involved stealing car keys from a home in Midland Place in Swansea and then stealing items from a parked car outside the property. On the same day, they tried to enter other houses on the same street.
Nicholls, of Pen y Bryn, Ystradgynlais, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted burglary, one count of burglary and one count of theft. She also pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon in relation to the St Helen's Road incident. She was sentenced to a total of five and a half years in prison.
Robertson, of Princess of Wales Court, Bonymaen, also previously pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted burglary, one count of burglary and one count of theft. He was sentenced to three years in prison. Godfrey, of Furnace Way, Waun Wen, Swansea, who was described in court as someone with a “significant criminal history”, previously pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article. He was handed an extended sentence of six years in prison with an extended licence period of four years.
