One of the most violent attacks ever to have been witnessed on the streets of Brynamman reached Swansea Crown Court this morning when Andrew Howells was sentenced for using his ‘razor sharp’ axe to chop into a man’s head.

“This wasn’t a blow but a frenzied attack,” said Judge Geraint Walters.

“When you wielded that axe, there can be no shadow of a doubt that you intended to cause serious injury.”

On Friday, April 8, former school teacher Andrew Howells, 46, had spent the night drinking at The Bridge pub in Brynamman, with a number of acquaintances as well as the victim, 26-year-old Nicholas Spowart who he had never previously met.

Mr Spowart along with the defendant and two other men were seen leaving the pub in the early hours of the following morning. CCTV footage which was played to the court indicated that Howells’ temper was now rising out of control.

“You walk through my door and bring any sh**, and you’re dead,” he was heard telling the three men.

“And it’s not just me. There are weapons…knives, hammers and dogs…you’re dead.”

In a subsequent interview with the police, Howells told officers that as a result of his profession as a tree surgeon, his axes were ‘razor sharp and deadly’.

The group was then seen hugging and shaking hands and Mr Spowart patted Howells’ head with his hand. But once again, this triggered an aggressive response from Howells.

“You grabbed hold of me,” he shouted. “You don’t do that. But if you do, I will grind you into the ******* ground.”

The pair were then seen grappling on the floor. After a short while, they got up and Howells walked away in the direction of his home in Station Road.

But minutes later, as Mr Spowart walked past his doorway, Howells began his frenzied axe attack.

Counsel for the Crown, Peter Roache, KC, told the Court that as a result of his injuries the victim has no recollection of the attack. Forensic officers discovered significant blood stains on a motor vehicle parked nearby and a heavy pool of blood on the pavement. Further blood stains were found inside the defendant’s home, but further forensic examinations concluded that these had been deposited by the defendant as a result of the large quantities of blood on his hands.

At this point, Howells rang 999, fearing for the victim’s life.

“He said he wanted to make sure the victim didn’t bleed to death,” said Peter Roache.

Further video footage was played to the court which had been retrieved from the police officers’ body-worn camera. This showed the victim lying unresponsive on the road, covered in blood.

The hands of the officers who were attending to him were also covered in blood. The officers could be heard pleading with Mr Spowart to respond to them as they felt for his pulse.

Nicholas Spowart was subsequently taken to Morriston Hospital after sustaining a sliced chin, wounds to his forehead, eyebrows, eye, temple and ears. His right palm had also been severed through the nerve and muscle.

In a victim impact statement, he said the attack has left him feeling extremely nervous.

“My confidence has taken a huge knock and I keep thinking that I could have died,” he said. “Every time I look in the mirror it reminds me of what happened.”

Howells pleaded guilty to the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

His counsel, John Hipkin, KC, said his client had expressed ‘deep, deep remorse for what he did’.

This was echoed by Judge Geraint Walters when passing sentence.

“Your attack that night has robbed your young children of a loving and devoted father, your parents of a dutiful son as well as the church that you volunteered at and the wider community around Brynamman. I hope that one day the family of the victim can forgive you.”

Howells, who has no previous convictions, was sentenced to eight years and three months in custody. He will serve two-thirds of this sentence in prison; the remainder will be spent on licence. A forfeiture and destruction order was imposed on the axe.

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