Man jailed for Caerphilly pub incident (From Campaign Series)
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Man jailed for Caerphilly pub incident
1:55pm Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News
FOUR people were injured in an unprovoked glassing at a Caerphilly pub, with the perpetrator this week handed a three-year prison sentence.
Newport Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of the incident at the Malcolm Uphill pub, in which 22-year-old Gareth Lennon walked to the bar, picked up a pint glass and smashed it into the face of a customer.
The impact caused lacerations to the face of victim Adam Kalies, with glass spraying around the bar and causing cuts to three other customers.
Lennon, of Llys Tripp, Taffs Well, told officers who played him the footage back that he was "speechless" as he had never seen Mr Kalies before the incident.
The defendant admitted wounding Mr Kalies with intent and three counts of actual bodily harm against Judith Saxby, Nicola Hewer and Stacey Owen, who suffered cuts to their forehead, eyebrow and forearm.
Prosecutor Hywel Hughes told the court that Mr Kalies was talking to friends at the bar when the incident happened at 11.10pm on May 5.
He said: "All of a sudden, without warning, he felt a blow to his face and was in immediate pain.
There was stinging and he fell to the floor, realising he’d been glassed.
"The glass caused lacerations to Mr Kalies’ forehead, to the side of his right eye, his cheek and ear.
Lennon admitted drinking seven pints of Strongbow and initially told police Mr Kalies had hit him first.
But, on viewing the CCTV, Mr Hughes said he told officers: "I don’t know him, there is no reason for it.
I’m speechless.
"Defence barrister Anna Midgley said Lennon is an intelligent man who completed A-Levels and has excelled at work, but "is left speechless by his actions now.
He behaved with complete stupidity".Judge David Wynn Morgan called the attack "extremely unpleasant" and jailed Lennon for 36 months, of which he must spend half in prison.
He was also handed concurrent terms of eight months each for the three counts of actual bodily harm.
