A drunken man began frothing at the mouth while fighting with police after he had repeatedly punched a man in a nightclub who had come to his assistance. He left one of the officers with a damaged thumb which required surgery.
Sean Edwards, 35, assaulted Ishaq Hassan in Popworld in Cardiff city centre on May 7 last year after the victim had approached the defendant at the bar as he appeared to be in distress. Edwards was unsteady on his feet and clearly intoxicated but responded to Mr Hassan attempting him to assist him to a seat by hitting him.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard Edwards punched the victim to the face with "powerful force" four or five times, causing him great pain. Door staff intervened and removed the defendant from the club before calling the police.
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Upon the police arriving Edwards was detained and was described as "volatile, aggressive, and screaming". He was tensing his arms and legs when police tried to seize him and began frothing at the mouth. The defendant was arrested and became irate, lunging at officers while shouting and swearing at them.
Prosecutor Abigail Jackson said Edwards attempted to bite and kick out at the officers. When the police van arrived he was carried and placed in the vehicle but as he kicked out he hit a female officer in the abdomen and shoulder. He also made contact with another officer who was hit in the chest.
Another officer's hand became lodged between the door of the cage inside the police van and the the defendant's leg causing the flesh to be ripped from his thumb and leaving him bleeding. The officer was later taken to hospital where his thumbnail had to be removed and stitches applied.
Edwards, of Cae Mari Dwn, Merthyr Tydfil, later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating, and two counts of assaulting emergency workers. The court heard he had relevant previous convictions for violence.
In mitigation Cora Sorensen apologised for her client arriving late to court. She conceded the defendant was not complying with the officers' directions due to his intoxication.
Sentencing, Judge David Wynn Morgan said: "This was a disgraceful incident brought about by the fact of nothing other than you had consumed a staggering amount of alcohol." He sentenced Edwards to a total of 12 months imprisonment.
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