A soldier suffering from chronic Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome headbutted a youth twice and smashed a glass on top of his head, after gatecrashing a party at his Presteigne home.
Suffering from combat stress after facing frontline action in Bosnia and other war zones across the world, Giles Travis Wilson could be sent to prison for the attack.
The 31-year-old from Lugg View admitted assaulting Llewellyn Venables and causing criminal damage to a door on September 7 last year, when he appeared at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The court was told Wilson had not been invited to the party at Slough Road, thrown by siblings Anna and Patrick Flemming while their parents were away. When he was asked to leave by Ms Flemming, he attacked Mr Venables.
Prosecuting, Chris Howells there were about 30 people at the party aged between 16 and 21, and Wilson arrived with a friend, Mike Robinson, and remained there until 3am.
Wilson was in the garden mingling with guests when Ms Flemming noticed him and asked him what he was doing at the premises. He reacted by asking her if her question was racially motivated, based on the fact that he was of darker skin.
Mr Howells said Ms Flemming asked Wilson to leave the party and he pushed her, causing her to stumble backwards. It was seen by other guests at the party, one of which was Mr Venables, who stepped in between Ms Flemming and Wilson.
Mr Venables told Wilson it was time for him to leave, but Wilson headbutted Mr Venables to the bridge of the nose and a scuffle started between the two men.
Partygoers led a shaken Mr Venables inside the house, closing the door behind them to part him and Wilson, who remained in the garden.
An enraged Wilson forced the door open and once inside the house threatened other partygoers with violence if they did not tell him where the youth he had attacked was.
Mr Venables had been taken upstairs by friends who were cleaning him up, but eventually Wilson was told where Mr Venables was and he went upstairs.
Mr Howells said Wilson asked which youth was the one he had attacked and then headbutted Mr Venables again before bringing a glass he had in his hand down on Mr Venables’ head.
Mr Venables was dazed but could remember Wilson grabbing hold of him and another scuffle took place.
Friends broke the scuffle up before Wilson went downstairs and calmed down. He apologised to Mr Venables before leaving the property.
Mr Howells said that by this time the police had been called and Wilson may have known that.
Mr Venables suffered injuries to his nose and arms, and cuts to his head, neck and chest.
Defending, Gavin Rofer said that as far as Wilson was concerned the incident had arisen as a result of him being confronted by Ms Flemming. He had been sitting around the campfire while a guitar was being played when Ms Flemming approached him and asked him, and only him, to leave.
He believed it was because of his race, but Mr Rofer said none of the prosecution witnesses had mentioned his skin colour and the police did not arrest him at first because he did not match their descriptions.Mr Rofer said Wilson did not accept that he started the scuffle but he accepted he lashed out and was older and more powerful than the other partygoers.
“He does not deny that in the scuffle he may have used his head and may have used excessive force,” said Mr Rofer.
He said Wilson also suffered some significant injuries including a swollen black eye, swollen nose and lip, and bruising to his back, ribs and side.
Mr Rofer said Wilson had been a serving soldier in the army since the early 1990s and was medically discharged in 2006 after being diagnosed with chronic Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome as a result of combat stress from frontline action he experienced in Bosnia and other places.
Mr Rofer said the situation had become so bad and debilitating that he had to be released from the army. But he said he had no previous convictions for violence.
“This was an unpleasant incident which was started for no real reason. It was certainly not the case that he was out that night at that property seeking to gatecrash it to cause trouble.
“The whole incident stemmed from him being approached and asked to leave, the only person there asked to do so,” said Mr Rofer.
Chairman of the Magistrates, Sue Morrison, said they required documentary evidence of Wilson’s PTSS to be given to the Probation Services for them to prepare a pre-sentence report.
Warning the court would considering custody, she adjourned the case for sentencing until September 26.
