https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...limit-33502992
'I was battered for obeying 20mph speed limit' Pensioner speaks out about 'terrifying' road rage incident
A grandfather was punched in the face simply for adhering to the 20mph speed limit. Dashcam footage captured the moment Christopher Shaw, 40, jumped from his van to strike Christopher Lavis, then 68, leaving him with a fractured right cheekbone and eye socket as well as a broken nose and concussion.
The unprovoked assault in Brynmenyn, Bridgend county, happened hours before Mr Lavis was scheduled to undergo a cardiac examination, which had to be delayed because of the attack. Mr Lavis' wife Elizabeth Lavis, 68, sat helpless in the passenger seat as the brutal assault unfolded.
Mr Lavis slammed the 12-month suspended sentence handed to Shaw last week. The pensioner has not driven since the attack due to anxiety and has been left relying on a walking stick for stability.
He said the violence appeared to be provoked by his "simple act of courtesy" in giving way to oncoming traffic and maintaining the proper speed of 20mph.
Mr Lavis, from Brynmenyn, told SWNS: "The reason he [the judge] didn't give him a jail sentence is because this bloke has his own roofing business and people rely on him for their jobs. To me, I don't give a monkey's if you're Donald Trump. If you employ people, you should have thought of that before you thumped somebody. I was very, very disappointed that it wasn't a custodial sentence."
At around 8.15am on July 30, Mr Lavis had heard a beeping horn from a van behind him, which was flashing its lights. "He pulled over into another street to allow the van to pass and then carry on his way," prosecutor Ben Jones told Newport Crown Court.
Mr Lavis later came to a stop to give way to oncoming traffic. The same van then appeared behind him and at that point Shaw exited the van, opened the driver-side door of Mr Lavis' car and attacked him.
After throwing the punch, Shaw stopped Mr Lavis from closing his car door and continued to shout at him before finally allowing him to shut it.
Mr Lavis was treated at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for his injuries.
He said: "I'm still suffering today... I've got balance issues that [mean] my head doesn't feel steady. I'm stumbling quite a bit, tripping over things. Before the incident I had no problems at all. I used to run the parkrun every Saturday. This has really impacted on my life."
Mrs Lavis described the incident as "deeply traumatic" and said she was "terrified" when she saw Shaw's punch had caused her husband to "immediately begin bleeding heavily".
Shaw, of Heol Glannant in Bettws, initially told police he had thrown the punch in self-defence but later pleaded guilty to ABH (actual bodily harm) assault. He had six previous offences including an assault from 25 years ago.
His solicitor Derrick Gooden described the attack as "entirely out of character" and told the court his "remorseful" client would be happy to pay compensation within 28 days.
The judge, Recorder Paul Lewis KC, said: "He has a roofing business that employs people who are dependent on him, he has a family, a niece, and he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. On balance, by a whisker, it seems to me that although the offence demands a sentence of imprisonment it is one the court can suspend."
Turning to Shaw, he said: "What you did that day was inexcusable and unjustified. I accept, however, you are remorseful and ashamed."
The judge imposed a one-year jail term suspended for two years, £1,500 in compensation, 50 hours of unpaid work, a £187 victim services surcharge and £150 in prosecution costs.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by life on mars
