Ross Williams was sentenced at Swansea Crown Court for attacking a man in the city's PopWorld bar
A FORMER soldier-turned-wrestler who bit a man on the face in a Swansea club has avoided jail.
Ross Williams used his fighting skills to "sweep" his victim's legs from under him and throw him to floor — and then in the ensuing fight he bit him on the right cheek in what a judge described as a "cowardly and guttersnipe" act.
Swansea Crown Court heard that the victim of the attack had been in the PopWorld bar on Wind Street for a "family and colleagues" night out in December last year when his daughter began talking to Williams on the dance floor.
When the victim walked up to the Williams and offered his hand to shake, the defendant took it but then in one movement swept the man's feet from under him and threw him to the floor.
Ian Ibrahim, for the prosecution, said a scuffle then ensued between the two men during which "blows were exchanged".
Door staff grabbed the fighting men and bundled them out of the door — police officers on Wind Street then intervene and separated the pair.
The barrister said police officers noticed what looked like a bite on the victim's face, and he was later taken to Morriston Hospital where medics found teeth marks on his right cheek.
Williams, aged 28 , of Gelli Street, Port Tennant, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
The court heard Williams has a previous convictions for actual bodily harm — in April 2009 he had attacked a customer in the Chick-O-Land takeaway on Wind Street, leaving him with broken ribs, a large laceration under one eye, cuts to his head and facial swelling.
He was given a community order at Swansea Magistrates Court for that offence — a sentence Judge Paul Thomas said he though he had been "extremely fortunate" to receive.
Matt Henson, for Williams, said his client had mental health issues for which he was receiving support from the community mental health team. The advocate described Williams — a qualified electrician — as "essentially a family man".
Judge Thomas said violence in a public place was wholly unacceptable, adding the defendant's bite to the face was "a cowardly, guttersnipe act".
He told Williams: "As a trained wrestler, a trained fighter, a trained soldier, you more than most people ought to be able to control your aggression".
However, the judge said that in reading a pre-sentence report it was clear Williams was "in many respects a decent individual" who did charity work — including using his wrestling skills in an anti-bullying campaign.
Williams was sentenced to 40 months in prison suspended for 12 months, was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and must complete a rehabilitation course to tackle his anger issues. Williams also has to pay his victim £500 compensation.
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