BAR BRAWL
Shocking moment thug punches and STAMPS on head of reveller outside karaoke bar in horror ‘unprovoked’ attack
THIS is the shocking moment a thug punches and stamps on the head of a reveller in an "unprovoked" attack outside a karaoke bar.
Dad-of-two Matthew Bannister, 39, punched victim Bryn Brooks to the floor and continued his attack as revellers tried to hold him back.
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Bannister then stamped on the head of the victim, causing serious head injuries including a broken cheekbone, before bouncers were able to intervene.
Mr Brooks was left unable to eat hard food for three weeks following the attack outside the busy Liquid Lounge bar in Maesteg, South Wales, on July 9, 2023.
Bannister initially lied to police and claimed he had been defending himself, before admitting to unlawful wounding.
He denied a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but changed his plea to guilty on the day of his trial.
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Bannister was jailed for three years for the "completely unprovoked attack" at Cardiff Crown Court today.
The court heard how a woman in Mr Brooks' friendship group began with another group of woman on a train to the town.
The row continued outside the bar, before carrying on inside.
During the arguing, a drunken man - who was an acquaintance of Bannister - then said heated words to Mr Brooks' girlfriend.
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Byron Broadstock, prosecuting, told the court Bannister then joined in the row.
Mr Brooks, meanwhile, "wasn't sure what the argument was about," but asked them to leave his girlfriend alone.
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He then sat down, while Bannister stood dancing nearby.
But CCTV footage shows Bannister then suddenly punch Mr Brooks in the face.
Door staff quickly intervened to remove both groups from the venue.
But Bannister continued to argue with Mr Brooks' partner outside the bar.
He then threw a series of punches to Mr Brooks' face and torso before stamping on his head.
He was eventually pulled away, but not before Mr Brooks had blacked out after suffering wounds to his head which required gluing.
Mr Brooks had to take five days off from work and was unable to eat hard food for three weeks - or play rugby for three months.
In a victim impact statement heard in court today, he said: "I'm very nervous going out in Maesteg. I'm worried it can happen again.
"I have gone out once or twice and spent most of the night looking over my shoulder, wanting to go home.
"I work in a leisure centre and have worried about him turning up at my workplace.
"I keep replaying the incident in my head and feeling like I could have done more to protect myself.
"I feel humiliation walking through Maesteg as lots of people saw me getting assaulted."
The court heard Bannister had been drinking all day and admitted he had delivered a "cowardly" punch.
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Recorder Andrew Hammond said it was "a completely unprovoked attack on a man who posed no physical threat to you".
He added there was "simply no excuse" for the attack.
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