Thug's attack left man disfigured

A MAN was left permanently disfigured after he was attacked in front of a bar full of people, a court has heard - but no-one came forward to police with the attacker's name.

- JASON EVANS

Richard Clement

The victim suffered a bleed on the brain along with a fractured nose, cheek and eye socket as a result of the attack by Richard Clement, but a judge said it was a “sign of the times” that witnesses did not assist the police and instead adopted a “saw nothing, heard nothing and will say nothing” attitude.

Swansea Crown Court heard the assailant was eventually identified by police and charged shortly before he was due to be released from prison, where he was serving a sentence for assaulting a former partner.

Matt Murphy, prosecuting, told the court the victim spent the night of January 8 last year socialising in pubs in Port Talbot town centre before ending up in Jimmy’s Bar in Station Road.

He said that as the complainant was standing alone at the bar he was approached by Clement, who delivered “one forceful blow” to the head in an unprovoked attack, knocking the victim unconscious.

The court heard the complainant had no memory of the assault after being woken up by bar security staff.