Post-rugby punch after spilt drink led to broken jaw
A SPILT drink led to a man receiving a fractured jaw after he was punched in the face in a Cardiff bar following a Wales v England rugby match.
Jonathan Penpraze, 29, assaulted his victim Steven Stokes at the Brewhouse pub in St Mary’s Street on February 23, 2019, at around 7pm not long after the Six Nations clash had finished.
Mr Stokes had initially become involved in a verbal altercation with one of Penpraze’s friends after they bumped into each other, but after he refused to shake the friend’s hand, the defendant launched two punches and connected the second with the victim’s jaw.
As a result of the fractured jaw, Mr Stokes required two operations and could eat only pureed food for a number of weeks.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday was told by prosecutor Abigail Jackson that Penpraze was identified by CCTV and was arrested more than half a year later in August 2019.
The defendant, of New Road, Porthcawl, initially claimed he had acted in self-defence and claimed Mr Stokes was going to attack his friend, but he later pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on the first day of his trial.
In a victim personal statement read out to the court, Mr Stokes described the problems he had faced as a result of his injury.
He said: “The injury has had a massive impact on my life... My jaw was wired shut for six weeks and I had to have a liquidised diet. I had bands that kept my mouth shut and every time I took liquid I had the feeling of choking.”
The court heard Mr Stokes underwent bone graft surgery which took bone from his hip to be placed in his jaw, which left him with two scars.
He added: “I was also left with emotional scars and I am less social and avoid large gatherings. I would like to know why this person hit me and if he realises or cares about the impact he has had on my life.
“I have a military background and did a tour in Iraq and I played rugby, but I have never been so traumatised in my life.”
Penpraze has a number of previous convictions, including for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and battery.
Defence barrister Nigel Fryer said his client wished to apologise “unreservedly” to Mr Stokes.
He said the defendant’s offence was a “spontaneous action after a day of drink”.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: “It’s obvious if you punch someone in an unprovoked way when you have been drinking and cause such a serious injury it crosses the custodial sentence and this offence is far too serious for a suspended sentence order.”
Penpraze was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.