A "steaming drunk" thug racially abused and attacked two bouncers after being thrown out of a bar, a court has heard. Rowland Lea threw punches and chairs before grabbing a metal pole and using it as a weapon - all the while shouting vile racial slurs. His friend Jordan Thomas then got involved in the fracas by pushing the door staff over a barrier.
A recorder described the violence which played out in front of members of the public on Swansea's busy Wind Street as a "disgraceful incident of public disorder", and he told both men they were old enough to know better.
Sian Cutter Cutter, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on the night on July 6 last year Lea and Thomas' brother were upstairs in the Savana bar on the city's Wind Street when, due to pair's aggressive behaviour towards a group of men sat at nearby table, staff asked them to leave. The men were escorted downstairs and out of the bar onto the street, and at this point 34-year-old Lea turned on two members of door staff.
The court heard Lea began grappling with the bouncers and throwing punches and chairs at his victim before grabbing a metal pole - part of a crowd control barrier - and setting about the men with it. The prosecutor said one of the bouncers was then taken to the floor by a third party who has never been identified, and while he was on the ground Lea repeatedly punched him to the head. The court heard while attacking the bouncers Lea directed a series of racial slurs at them. The disturbance continued, and it was at this point that 27-year-old Thomas - who had been standing on Wind Street - got involved, pushing the door staff into a crowd barrier. Thomas then led his by now shirtless friend away.
Police were soon on the scene, and the defendants were identified and arrested. Lea answered "no comment" to all questions asked but provided a prepared statement in which he denied being involved in any assault. In his interview Thomas said he had been on Wind Street when Lea and his brother were escorted out of Savana and, seeing what was happening, he went to protect his friend. The court heard no action as taken against Thomas' brother. Read about a rogue roofer jailed for botched jobs which left victims thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Rowland Ridler Lea, of Iscoed Road, Hendy, Pontarddulais, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has 24 previous convictions for 58 offences including inflicting grievous bodily harm, battery, and supplying Class A drugs. Jordan Thomas, of Bethel Road, Llansamlet, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault when he appeared alongside his co-defendant. He has no previous convictions.
John Allchurch, for Lea, said the defendant now appreciated he needed help with mental health difficulties which he had experienced for a many years, problems he had been self-medicating for with alcohol and drugs. The advocate said as part of this realisation his client had been seeking assistance from psychoanalyst Martyn Shrewsbury. He said there was another side to the defendant from the one painted by his antecedent record, including fundraising for cancer charities.
Mr Allchurch also represented Thomas who he said was a man of clean character whose partner was expecting their child in January, and whose only involvement had been to push the bouncers, acts which - though unlawful - had not caused injury.
Recorder Duncan Bould described the events on Wind Street as a "disgraceful incident of public disorder" played out in front of members of the public. He said Lea had been "steaming drunk" and had responded to being asked to leave the bar with "uncontrolled aggression and repeated racial insults". He noted that in his pre-sentence report Lea had described his behaviour as excessive self defence, and he said it was clear the defendant was not taking full responsibly for his actions. The recorder as far as Thomas' involvement was concerned, he accepted the defendant's actions had been out of character.
With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Lea was sentenced to two years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Thomas was made the subject of a months community order with one requirement, namely that he complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
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