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British wrestler escapes prison sentence after pub brawl and drugs fight
By NORWICH EVENING NEWS 24
Mar 13, 2010 - 5:21:10 PM |
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A member of a Norwich wrestling family, who wrecked a city pub and nearly killed a man by throwing a piece of tarmac at him, has walked free from court.
Roy Bevis, 29, and friend Tony Evans, 19, who both earlier pleaded guilty to affray, trashed the Heartsease pub like “a scene from the Wild West' on May 6 last year, Norwich Crown Court heard yesterday.
Bevis, of Stannard Road, Norwich, and co-defendants Sonny Pyatt, 23, and Anton Willis, 24, were also involved in a drugs fight in Norwich city centre on November 10 last year, in which one man was hit over the head with a piece of tarmac and nearly died.
But Bevis, who has numerous previous convictions for violence, walked free from court yesterday to cheers from family and friends.
William Carter, prosecuting, said pool cues were used to trash the Heartsease pub, with one regular left unconscious after being punched in the face.
He said: “It was just after 5.30pm. Evans came into the bar and said 'Who's the hardest? I'm the hardest in Heartsease'.
“Bevis was outside the pub and when he was joined by Evans, both returned to the pub, and smashed pub windows, throwing glasses and chairs.
“One regular was attacked and left unconscious. Bevis picked up a pool cue and hit a stranger in the pub on the head. The pool cue broke and narrowly missed a child. Bevis also punched another man.
“Evans hit a man with a chair and picked up and threw a chair towards the bar and threw a glass behind the bar. The pub manageress said it was like a scene from the Wild West. They left the pub pretty wrecked and caused £300 damage.”
On November 10, Mr Carter said Bevis, Willis and Pyatt were looking to buy drugs and met two men in Bank Street, off Upper King Street, in Norwich just after midnight.
Mr Carter said: “They met drug dealer, Abduramane Jalo, 22, and there was an argument over price and Pyatt said 'If you keep playing with me, I'm going to stab you'.
“Pyatt punched Mr Jalo and his friends Willis and Bevis attacked Mr Jalo and his friend Nathan Carthy.
“Bevis pleaded guilty to picking up a piece of tarmac, the size of an A4 piece of paper and four inches thick.
“Jalo was hit on the head by that and was in intensive care for three days. His nose was broken and his right eye socket fractured. His shoulder was also dislocated when he fell.”
Bevis had earlier pleaded guilty to wounding and Willis and Pyatt had admitted affray.
Bevis, who along with Pyatt and Willis has spent four months in jail on remand for the November 10 incident, was handed a 12 months suspended sentence for two years, and an 18-months community order.
Pyatt, of Mousehold Lane, Norwich, who had earlier also admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm in Canterbury on April 24, 2008 - when he punched a doorman unconscious leaving him needing 12 stitches to his face - and who was in breach of two suspended sentences, was jailed for 12 months.
Willis, of Gertrude Road, Norwich, was given an 18 months community order and ordered to do 75 hours unpaid work, while Evans, of Terrace Walk, near Norwich city centre, was given a suspended sentence of nine months for two years and must do 250 hours unpaid work.
Bevis is the son of Norwich wrestling legend Sweet Saraya who is married to fellow wrestler Rowdy 'Ricky' Knight, and members of the family and friends packed the courtroom.
As soon as Bevis' sentence was read out by Recorder Jonathan Ferris, they started clapping, drawing an angry response from Mr Ferris.
He told them: “This is not Celebrity Squares. It's not a day out for you, as there are very important matters being discussed here, so show more respect.”
John Farmer, for Bevis, said: “He accepts he was wrong. He was in drink and in a situation where he felt provoked. But the victim, Mr Jalo, had thrown the tarmac at him first, which broke his finger, and he just threw it back.”
Mr Farmer, for Pyatt, said the Canterbury incident was an instance of him losing his temper, and added: “In the November incident violence breaks out on the other side and he joins in, but not with a weapon.”
For Willis, Stephen Spence said he got involved in violence because of his friends. He said: “If not for the victim's injury, then none or all five of the people involved in the fight, would have been in the dock.”
Mr Spence, for Evans, said his client had recently spent time in jail and was determined not to return. He said: “He had been fired up by a significant consumption of alcohol.”
Recorder Ferris said Pyatt had a very poor criminal record and added: “At Canterbury Crown Court you were told that if you committed further offences of violence you would go to prison, but despite that warning, you committed affray.”
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