‘Almighty blow’ to face left man needing surgery

A MAN was left with serious facial injuries which required surgery to fit a metal plate after a confrontation in the street “escalated”, a court has heard.

Christopher Edwards and a car full of friends went “mob-handed” to a house and began shouting abuse at a man who was putting a child seat into his car. Violence then erupted with 51-year-old Edwards launching an assault which left his victim with fractures to his eye socket, sinus and cheek. The injuries were so severe he had to have a titanium plate fitted and he was off work for six weeks.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the “background” to the assault are allegations involving a Maesteg gang and the bullying of people in a community.

Jenny Yeo, prosecuting, said that at lunchtime on July 2 Edwards and four other men drove up to a house in Caerau where Shane Corcoran was fitting a child seat in his car. Edwards began shouting abuse at Mr Corcoran and an altercation ensued during which punches were thrown. Mr Corcoran’s brother, Shay Corcoran, came out of the property to help his sibling and got between the brawling men.

The court heard that as the situation continued Shay Corcoran took an “almighty blow” to the side of his face and felt immediate pain. The defendant then began shouting that the Corcoran brothers were bullies who were “bullying everyone in Caerau”.

After the assault Edwards got back into his car and left the scene before returning shortly afterwards threatening to “get the boys”. The court heard Shay Corcoran later said he was terrified as “he knew [the defendant] was a member of a local gang”.

Miss Yeo said that after the confrontation the victim went to hospital and underwent a CT scan where fractures to the left eye socket, sinus and cheek bones were identified. He was sent to see a maxillofacial expert in Swansea and later had surgery to reposition his cheek bone and have titanium plates and screws fitted.

In an impact statement from Shay Corcoran, which was read to the court, he said he now “lives on his nerves” and does not feel safe in his own home.

Christopher John Edwards, of Lansbury Close, Maesteg, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on the day he was due to stand trial. The court heard he has five previous convictions for 12 offences, including for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and GBH from the 1980s and 1990s, common assault, and a drug trafficking offence for which he was sentenced to seven years.

Ieuan Rees, for Edwards, said it seems matters on the Caerau street had “escalated” and “got out of hand rather quickly” and the defendant accepted throwing a punch. He said his client had always worked up until five years ago when ill-health forced him to stop and said Edwards had brought his family up to be respectable.

Recorder Greg Bull QC told Edwards he had gone to the Corcorans’ house on the day in question “mob-handed”. He said there was clearly a “background” to the incident but that was of no interest to him and he told Edwards it was his duty to “keep the peace and not try to take the law into your own hands”.

The recorder said the appropriate sentence after trial would have been one of two years in prison. Giving the defendant a discount for his guilty plea, he reduced that to 21 months and suspended it for 21 months. Edwards will also have to complete a rehabilitation course and to comply with a 7pm to 7am curfew for the next three months.