Wellington party-goer jailed for meat cleaver affray
A man who waved a meat cleaver at a hotel doorman after a brawl broke out at a 60th birthday party has this afternoon been jailed for 10 months.
Simon Davies, 36, was at his father's birthday party at the Station Hotel in Wellington on April 29 last year when a fight broke out among his sisters.
Doormen Neil Hodgkiss and Christopher Taylor stepped in to break the fight up, Shrewsbury Crown Court was told. But a group of men turned on them, culminating in Davies brandishing the cleaver and swinging it at Mr Taylor, narrowly missing him.
Davies admitted charges of being in possession of an offensive weapon and affray. Judge Peter Barrie told Davies, who is currently serving a five-year sentence for burglary at HMP Dovegate, that his behaviour on the night could have resulted in serious injuries being caused.
He said: "These two offences started at a party celebrating your father's birthday and it should have been a happy situation.
"But it is only by a stroke of luck that the use of this weapon did not seriously injure someone.
"You would have known that this was a dangerous weapon and it was in dangerous circumstances. You are currently serving a five-year jail term for burglary and I am left with little option than to add another 10 months on for this to run consecutively to your current sentence.
"I also order the forfeiture and destruction of the weapon."
Mr David White, prosecuting, said on April 29 members of the family had gathered for a 60th birthday party in the hotel's VIP section. He said during the course of the evening a fight broke out among Davies's sisters at the hotel so Mr Taylor and Mr Hodgkiss stepped in.
He said: "As they did, they were assaulted by many men. They retreated to the fire exit and once outside there was more fighting among groups of people. After 10 minutes the defendant appeared with a meat cleaver which he had above his head and swung at speed towards Mr Taylor, but he missed.
"Another colleague came in a car from another venue and grabbed the defendant around the waist causing him to drop the weapon. The hotel's manager picked it up, locked it in a car and the police arrived."
Mr White said no-one suffered any injuries during the incident.
Mr David Richards, for Davies, said his client had been celebrating his father, Mick Davies's birthday. He said the fight got out of hand.
Mr Richards said: "He (Davies) didn't go out that night looking for trouble but he behaved in a way that is wholly unacceptable."
