A construction worker who thought his wife had been assaulted at a music concert at Ashton Gate broke a man's jaw. Dean Mayo inflicted a single blow on the complainant outside the stadium when rock band Muse played in 2019.
A court heard Mayo, a former white collar boxer from Park North in Swindon, since regretted his behaviour and was a hard-working man who had not offended since.
Father-of-four Mayo, 48, pleaded guilty to a single count of inflicting grievous bodily harm. He appeared at Bristol Crown Court for sentence today. (March 21, 2022)
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The recorder Mr Robin Sellers handed him an 18 months prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, with 180 hours' unpaid work, a nine-month curfew and £1,500 compensation. He told Mayo: "You are not a 20-year-old boy. You are somebody of significant maturity who has responsibilities. You let it all go - you've got to be there for your partner, you put that in jeopardy by all this."
Mayo was supported at court by his partner and friends. He told Bristol Live: "I am relieved that, after four years, it is over and done with."
Tabitha Macfarlane, prosecuting, said the complainant told Mayo's partner to "have a word" with Mayo after he appeared to manhandle a young man in the crowd at the gig. Miss Macfarlane said that sparked "anxiety" and, ultimately, Mayo was removed from the arena and the complainant was also ejected.
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Miss Macfarlane said: "The complainant was sitting on a wall, having a cigarette and talking to people. He says: 'The next thing I remember was waking up in Bristol Royal Infirmary with a massive headache and my jaw broken'."
The complainant made an impact statement in which he said his broken jaw left him in terrible pain and severely impacted on his mental health. He said he was medicated for anxiety and had turned to drink to take his mind off things.
Paul Cornelius, a probation officer, told the court that a suggestion had been made that Mayo's partner had been treated inappropriately and he became angry. Mr Cornelius said: "He saw the man there, that was the trigger and he punched the guy in the face once. He does regret what he did, he wishes he dealt with it differently."
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The court heard Mayo was diagnosed with ADHD in later life, thought to have contributed to his behaviour when younger, and was now a family man whose partner was a calming influence on him.
Anne-Marie Critchley, defending, said her client now realised "machismo" behaviour was inappropriate. She said: "He regrets his behaviour, he recognises it was out of character. There has been no trouble since, he wants to move on with his life." She added that Mayo was a hard-working family man who used his weekends to deliver food to vulnerable people in his community.
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