THUG FLOORED NEW YEAR REVELLER BUT HAS ‘TURNED HIS LIFE AROUND’
ATHUG who punched a man to the ground and left him with a serious brain injury has been spared jail.
Geraint Wyn Roberts had at an earlier hearing admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on Rui Da Silva at Amlwch on December 31, 2018.
The offence by the 32-year-old, of Minffordd Road in Caergeiliog, near Valley, crossed the custody threshold, but Judge Timothy Petts, sitting at Caernarfon Crown Court, was persuaded to draw back from an immediate sentence.
He was told Roberts had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, expressed real remorse and, in the 18 months since the incident, had “turned his life around”.
Handing Roberts a 14-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, the judge said: “There was absolutely no need to do what you did.
“Every year, there are cases of people being punched and falling backwards and being killed.
“This sort of ugly behaviour is dangerous and it is only through good fortune there are no lasting effects, although the victim took some months to fully recover.”
In addition to the suspended jail term, Roberts must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay the victim £400 compensation and £140 costs.
He must also undertake 20 days of rehabilitation activity and attend 35 sessions of a programme requirement.
The judge said: “You’ve been given a chance. It’s now up to you.”
Defence counsel Matthew Curtis said: “If ever he gets the chance to apologise to the family of Mr Da Silva, he would do so.
“He has to live with what he has done for the rest of his life.”
Ryan Rothwell, prosecuting, said Mr Da Silva was with a group of friends making their way to the centre of Amlwch for the New Year celebrations.
He said the group had split into two, with some walking ahead of the others.
Passing a house where a party was in progress, some from the first group knocked on the window and waved.
This led to Roberts and another man emerging and becoming aggressive and abusive.
During the incident, Mr Da Silva was punched once in the face and fell backwards, hitting his head on the ground and being knocked unconscious.
Paramedics took him to hospital where a bleed on the brain was diagnosed.
Mr Rothwell said no surgical intervention was required but he was kept in hospital for two days and was off work for more than three months.