A court has heard how ‘fear and intimidation’ prompted a Haverfordwest woman to pervert the course of justice by lying to police about the identity of a man who kicked another unconscious.
Shannon Thompson maintained in a police interview and also in a written statement that the man responsible for the violent attack was Wayne John. As a result, Mr John was forced to spend 22 hours in police custody.
But this, Swansea Crown Court heard this week, was a blatant lie.
The attack had been committed by Jedd Hitchings and Gareth Roberts on the evening of December 14, 2021, as Mr John was accompanying his friend, Mr Graham Nicholas as he walked home to Three Meadows.
When they reached Jury Lane, Mr Nicholas walked on ahead while Mr John held back with his dog.
When Mr John reached The Meadows housing estate, he saw his friend being knocked to the floor by a punch from Jedd Hitchings who then proceeded to kick and stamp on his head along with Gareth Roberts.
A witness told police that the attack lasted for some 30 seconds, resulting in Mr Nicholas sustaining a broken nose, numerous lacerations to his face and head and a deformity to his top lip which can’t be rectified.
Shannon Thompson, 22, arrived at the scene with her friend, Dion Morgan, who lived in the flat above Mr Nicholas.
“When Miss Thompson saw the extent of his injuries, she began tending to them,” her counsel, Ashanti-Jade Walton, KC, told the court.
“She sat with him on the floor, trying to stop the bleeding and asked a neighbour for a tea towel to stem the bleeding.
“When the police arrived she was still on the floor tending to his injuries and she went to the hospital with him as she was concerned about the state he was in.”
But when police began asking her questions about the person responsible for the attack, Thomson persistently claimed it was Mr John.
This, continued Ms Walto, was because Thompson had been forced to do so by Hitchings and his partner, Dion Morgan.
“Shannon Thompson had fallen into friendship with a group of individuals who were very different from her,” said Ms Walton. “Her life has not been easy, and she felt that any form of friendship was a place where she could be accepted, as this has been very much missing in her life.“
Shannon Thompson, of Cashfield Way, Haverfordwest and Dion Morgan, both pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.
After listening to the mitigation, Judge Catherine Richards sentenced Thompson to six months in custody suspended for 12 months. She must carry out 20 rehabilitation requirement days and 100 hours of unpaid work. She was subjected to a five-year restraining order preventing her from engaging in any form of communication with Graham Nicholas.
The sentencing of Dion Morgan has been adjourned pending a pre-sentence report from the probation service. This will now take place on May 12.
Jedd Hitchings pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to 27 months in custody. Gareth Roberts pleaded guilty to wounding and will serve 19 months in prison.
