VICTIM’S £6K BILL AS TEETH PUNCHED OUT
THE first moment Jonathan Maxfield knew anything had happened to him was when he came around in the back room of a Swansea nightclub, surrounded by door staff and cradling a bucket filled with his own blood.
His two front teeth had been knocked out in an “unprovoked” attack that has left him facing a £6,000 bill to replace them. Jonathan, who lives in the Townhill area of the city, also claimed the incident had left him scared to leave his home.
The 22-year-old had been out on the town with his 19-year-old girlfriend Leah on the night of the Six Nations match between Wales and France last month.
The pair ended up at the Fiction & Vinyl nightclub and it was in the cordoned-off smoking area outside the building that the incident happened in the early hours of the following morning. “I’ve not long moved to Wales from Birmingham to be nearer Leah, who’s studying at university in Swansea,” said Jonathan, who works at a car showroom in Cardiff.
“We’d gone out to celebrate our one-year anniversary together and the evening had been going great. Then, all of a sudden, it was lights out.”
He said he had no clear memory or realisation about what had happened, his next memory being staring at the bucket as blood dripped from his mouth.
As well as his teeth being knocked out, several other teeth were damaged and he received cuts and bruises to his face and body.
“It all happened so quick I didn’t see a thing, although Leah remembers one of the three blokes responsible for the attack being around 6ft 3in tall, of slim build, with light brown or blond hair,” he added.
“He was also wearing a black T-shirt. There were definitely plenty of people around at the time though, including one girl who helped to comfort Leah who’d been really shaken up by the whole experience.
“I’m hoping that by speaking out it’ll prompt those witnesses to come forward.”
Jonathan said he’d since suffered with his mental health.
“I’ve definitely become very nervous whenever I’m leaving the house – which I’ve only really done in order to visit the dentist – because there was just no reason for what happened,” he said.
“Plus, because no-one’s been ID’d, I’m constantly anxious of who’s around me. And, on top of everything, I’ve been told it’ll cost six grand to get them permanently replaced.
“I can’t afford that. In the meantime I’ve been given a set of dentures – but I’m only 22 and don’t want those for the rest of my life.
“I had to put up with wearing orthodontic braces as a teenager so, without wishing to sound bigheaded, I had beautiful teeth before all this.”
A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: “We were called just before 2.15am on Saturday, March 12, following reports that a man had been assaulted in Fiction, Swansea, and had his teeth knocked out.
“The 22-year-old man was with his girlfriend in the smoking area of Fiction when the assault happened.
“The suspect was described as being a white male, with either blond or brown hair and was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. Officers conducted a number of inquiries on the night, including viewing CCTV footage; however, no suspect or witnesses were identified. Investigations are still ongoing into the incident and anyone that witnessed the assault is asked to contact us quoting the reference number 2200082190.”