Film ‘shows doorman punching rugby ace’
NEW footage has emerged appearing to show a nightclub bouncer punching Shane Williams in the face in a Cardiff nightclub.
The video was captured on the phone of a customer at Coyote Ugly in St Mary Street, Cardiff.
It appears to show doorman Dean Flowers holding Mr Williams’ head by a banister before striking him in the face.
Mr Williams is then seen being pulled towards the door, before falling to the floor in the melee.
Other security staff then appear and walk him out of the rear exit.
Footage was shown in court of Mr Williams falling down a set of stairs at Coyote Ugly later in the confrontation. It also showed another doorman, Dave Wing, holding his brother, Dean, in a chokehold in an alley at the back of the club until he passed out.
Flowers, 32, of Clos-y-Carlwm, Thornhill, Cardiff, and Wing, 53, of Shearman Place, Grangetown, Cardiff, were found guilty of affray on Monday following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
Another doorman, Aled James, pleaded guilty to affray on November 9. A fourth man, Haydn Morgan, was found not guilty of the same offence.
The three men will be sentenced together at a later date.
The incident happened at the Coyote Ugly bar following the Wales v South Africa match at the Principality Stadium on December 2 last year.
This new footage has not been shown in court and emerged yesterday. The man who recorded it, who preferred not to be named, said he witnessed events unfolding at the club while out with friends.
“I remember the bouncer going up to try to talk to Shane Williams and then it all started kicking off,” he said. “All I saw was exactly what I recorded.”
The man said he had been chatting to Mr Williams at the bar moments before the incident took place.
“I had actually spoken to him before it happened,” he said. “Literally I turned around and then I started recording them.”
He said the exchange was “friendly” but he couldn’t remember exactly what was said.
Cardiff Crown Court heard the former Wales and Ospreys winger was out with his brother and friends in Cardiff city centre following the rugby game.
Just before 10pm someone approached the group and tried to headbutt Dean Williams.
After seeing the incident, door staff at the venue ejected the group but an altercation culminated in Dean Williams lying unconscious in an alley outside the club.
A statement released by Coyote Ugly Saloons UK read: “We hold the safety of all our patrons and staff in the highest regards when selecting a door security company and they have strict guidelines to adhere to, working with local licensing and police.
“On selecting the security company at the time, references and experience were both taken into account.
“The security members involved in this incident were immediately suspended upon reviewing the situation last year and we no longer use RAS Security.
“We do not condone violence in our venues and took the correct and appropriate action in this instance.
“People who are in this area of employment are not exempt from the law.”
We have approached RAS Security for comment.