Attacker gets 14 months in prison
A man who launched an unprovoked attack, punching his victim so hard to the face that he knocked him unconscious and fractured his eye socket, has been jailed.
Defendant Martin Evans, who has a number of previous convictions for violence, admitted a GBH charge and was jailed for 14 months.
Judge Niclas Parry said the offence in April was sadly not out of character for Evans, of Bryn y Ddol in Welshpool, because he had behaved violently in the past.
"In drink, you struck another young man for no reason at all," the judge told the 33-year-old.
Evans had been hanging around the victim's group in a nightclub, staring at them, Mold Crown Court heard.
He then crossed the floor at some speed and then without warning punched him heavily to the face.
Judge Parry said it was "a cowardly, unprovoked and entirely unexpected attack."
It rendered victim Nathan France unconscious. He suffered a serious injury to his eye socket and Judge Parry said the victim, and the defendant himself, had been very lucky he was not more seriously injured.
It was accepted the defendant had a very different side to him when sober.
Andrew McInnes, prosecuting, said Mr France, 21, was out with friends and described himself as merry.
He had no recollection at all of the incident.
Mr McInnes said Evans had previous convictions for 26 offences – nine for offences against the person and four for public order.
Jonathan Austin, defending, said his client had left school at 15 and had always been a hard worker.
He was the main breadwinner for his partner and children and feared for the effect on them if he lost his liberty and his job. Evans had no particular recall of the incident due to alcohol.
