A singer launched an unprovoked attack on a man in a Swansea pub in what his barrister described as a “moment of sheer stupidity”. Ricky Lewis’ victim has been left with a scar in the middle of the forehead as a result of the assault. The 34-year-old defendant – well-known on the live music and events circuit in the Swansea area – initially refused to take part in a police identification procedure but later admitted his guilt.
He was handed a suspended sentence and ordered to pay his victim £1,000 compensation. Swansea Crown Court heard the assault happened in the city centre Cross Keys pub on the evening of July 2 last year. The victim, Perry Plowman, was in the beer garden of the Princess Way pub while the defendant was in the bar. The court heard that at around 9 pm Mr. Plowman entered the pub and as he did so Lewis approached him and began throwing punches, with one making contact with the victim’s face. Members of staff intervened to restrain Lewis and Mr. Plowman, who was bleeding heavily from the facial wound, was led away.
In an impact statement read to the court, Mr. Plowman said the scar on his face was a “constant reminder” of what happened. He said the unprovoked assault had affected him physically and psychologically, and said he was fearful of being followed and had changed his walk to work to avoid the area where the attack happened.
Ricky Lee Lewis, of The Strand, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has eight previous convictions for 12 offenses including affray and a domestic-related ABH. His last conviction was in 2019 for failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
Hywel Davies, for Lewis, said alcohol was a feature of the Cross Keys offense as it had been of much of the defendant’s previous offending but he said they were the instructions that his client had not drunk since the assault and “feels the better for it”.
The incident was described as a “moment of sheer stupidity” by Lewis’ barrister, who argued that while the offense crossed the custody threshold, the sentence could be suspended due to Lewis’ personal circumstances. Lewis, who has a teenage daughter and is a father figure to his partner’s daughter, risked losing their accommodation without his support.
Recorder Christian Jowett considered all aspects of the case and, believing the defendant could benefit from rehabilitation, handed down a suspended sentence. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Lewis was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete a rehabilitation course, carry out 225 hours of unpaid work, and pay his victim compensation at the rate of £100 per month.