Prestatyn,Rhuddlan,North Wales - Two men 'mortified' for violent attack on student after Wales Euro football match

Published date: 22 April 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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TWO young men who travelled from North Wales to Cardiff to watch a Wales international soccer match ended up becoming involved in late night street violence in the city.

Both had never been in trouble before and were mortified by what had happened, Mold Crown Court was told.

Ryan Bateman, 19, of York Close in Prestatyn and Troi Seally, 20, of Berllan Avenue in Rhuddlan admitted a charge of ABH after the court heard they were among a group who assaulted a student.

The case was transferred from Cardiff Crown Court to Mold and Judge Rhys Rowlands gave them both suspended sentences of youth detention.

Bateman who accepted kicking received a 12 month sentence suspended for two years and Seally, who admitted punching only, received a ten month suspended sentence.

Each was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and observe a three month curfew, to remain indoors between 9pm and 6am.

The judge ordered each to pay the victim £750 compensation, and £250 costs to the prosecution.

He warned that if they breached the order then they would go into custody.

Both had admitted the ABH charge which the judge said arose out of “aggressive and drunken behaviour” in the early hours of December 14 last year.

The two had travelled to Cardiff to watch Wales play in a European qualifier and after the game went out drinking in the city centre.

“Unfortunately, you had far too much to drink,” he said.

They had not instigated the violence, the judge said.

Another man, named as Lewis Reeves, came out of it very badly and had started it all off by telling the student that he had a bad haircut.

An exchange of words led to aggression and an incident, captured on CCTV which had been shown to the court, showed the defendants and others grappling with him.

Bateman grappled with him, Seally pushed him, and the victim was then kicked by the group.

The judge said Bateman accepted kicking him and Seally accepted punching him – but the judge said that they were both part and parcel of the group that was kicking him.

He said that the 20-year-old victim, Daniel Walker, had gone to Cardiff to study, had suffered a loss of confidence, and a loss of sensation to his nose and teeth.

The victim had been unable to eat solid food as a result.

Judge Rowlands said that it was “a thoroughly disgraceful episode”.

It was drunken street violence where people had lost control.

“You were involved with others in drunken street violence in the early hours of the morning in front of others including young women,” the judge told them.

But both had admitted the offence, were young, were of good character and both had good futures ahead of them.

Not without some misgivings, he said he would suspend the sentences.

Simon Rogers, for Seally, said that his client played no part in the start of the incident.

He was seen chatting quite happily to another man but when the complainant was pushed into him he became involved and should not have done so.

Seally, who had co-operated fully, was employed part time and was due to start an engineering course at Llandrillo in September.

Matthew Curtis, for Bateman, said that his client was embarrassed and mortified by what had occurred.

He never thought he would ever find himself in trouble with the law, he was a young man of good character, references spoke highly of him and the managing partner of a local solicitor’s firm wished to employ him because of the promise he had shown.

see-http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/161267/two-men-mortified-for-violent-attack-on-student-after-wales-euro-football-match.aspx