A NARBERTH football club player suffered the most badly broken jaw a judge had ever seen after he was attacked outside a local pub.
Christopher Weatherall, aged 30, was jailed for 20 months today after he admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm to Callum O’Connell.
Swansea Crown Court heard how Mr O’Connell, aged 21, had been socialising with fellow players in the Farmer’s Arms, Narberth, after a match on August 8 last year.
Craig Jones, prosecuting, said Weatherall, of Washington Terrace, Monkton, Pembroke, was there on a stag night before his brother’s wedding.
A scuffle broke out involving Weatherall and one of Mr O’Connell’s friends and he stepped in to separate them.
The group moved outside and what happened next was caught by a CCTV camera and the footage played in court.
Weatherall suddenly punched Mr O’Connell in the face, breaking his jaw in two places, and then kicked him as he tried to get off the floor.
Weatherall then held up his arms in triumph as a mass melee broke out.
“General disorder followed,” said Mr Jones.
Mr O’Connell was taken to Swansea’s Morriston Hospital where he was operated on under general anaesthetic.
The judge, Mr Recorder P.A.Hopkins, said he had studied photographs of his injuries and considered the broken jaw to be the worst he had ever seen, although it appeared he had made a good recovery.
Weatherall gave himself up to police the following day after being told they wanted to speak to him.
His barrister, David Williams, said his reaction to being told about the damage he had caused was to say he was “absolutely gutted. I can’t believe it happened.”
Mr Williams said others had either been charged or would be charged for their roles in the violence that was filmed outside the pub.
Mr Recorder Hopkins said he noted that Weatherall’s criminal record included three offences of battery.
He told the seasonal deck hand, “There’s a violent streak in you.
“This attack had a devastating impact on Mr O’Connell. It was followed by a disgusting and repugnant show of triumphalism,” he added.
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