Wigan thug left assault victim with brain bleed

Simon Griffiths - high on a cocktail of cocaine and alcohol - launched the attack outside the Ice Bar in Ormskirk Street, St Helens, in the early hours of the morning after taking his T-shirt off.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the victim, Andrew Davies, was shown on CCTV to have been shouting and pointing towards Griffiths but Griffiths then pursued him.

The defendant, 33, of Linney Square, Scholes, then punched him four times to head before pushing him to the ground causing his head to strike the road as he fell, said Ken Grant, prosecuting.

Griffiths then walked off leaving him motionless and went to the side of the Ice Bar. While he was trying to put his top back on he was detained by a policeman who had been directed to the scene by the CCTV operator.

The 43-year-old victim was taken to hospital where he was kept in for two days for observations. A CT scan showed bruising to his brain and bleeding on the surface of the brain. He had also suffered a laceration to his left ear drum.

Mr Grant said that police found that Griffiths was heavily under the influence of alcohol with slurred speech, glazed eyes and his breath smelt strongly of alcohol.

When interviewed by police he said he had drunk more than usual and also taken cocaine. He claimed the victim and his son had been verbally “baiting” him in the Ice Bar which made him feel intimidated and nervous.

He said he did not want to let them get away with the way they were treating him and matters escalated, He claimed there had been pushing and pushing between him and the victim before he pushed him causing him to fall.

He expressed remorse while being interviewed and was concerned about the victim’s condition, said Mr Grant.

Griffiths pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on December 5 last year.

David Polglase, defending, said that Griffiths, who has previous convictions including for violence, had pleaded guilty and was remorseful. He pointed out that there was no evidence of a long term effect on the victim.

Jailing him for 18 months Judge Garrett Byrne said that he accepted that Griffiths was genuinely remorseful.

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