Pontardawe drug dealing brothers savagely beat up man

Judge Paul Thomas KC said he was left unable to answer just what the man had done which led to Alastair and Alexanda Fetch hospitalising him.

Prosecutor Harry Dickens told the court that a man had been drinking at The Pink Geranium in Pontardawe on January 15 last year. He left and called Alexanda Fetch to buy some cocaine.

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The man said that when he arrived, Fetch came out with two large dogs and said he “had been waiting for him”.

Mr Dickens said that the victim later admitted that he had been “off his face” and had taken Valium when he went to Fetch’s address.

Alastair Fetch then also came outside, carrying what the victim described as a crowbar. As the victim attempted to leave, he was hit with the crowbar.

Alastair Fetch then hit him “two or three times to the head”, Mr Dickens said, before Alexanda Fetch pulled what the victim described as a hammer from his trousers and also attacked him.

The victim also reported being stamped on and  “thought he was going to die,” Mr Dickens said.

Alexanda Fetch initially claimed he was acting in self defence and said the man had a samurai sword. (Image: South Wales Police)

The incident was reported to the police after the victim went knocking on doors asking for help. When officers arrived, he was “slumped against a car” and covered in blood.

He was taken to Morriston Hospital.

Alexanda Fetch was initially arrested, and claimed that the victim had “followed him home and had been in possession of a samurai sword”. He told the police he had acted in self-defence, and that the victim had discarded the samurai sword over a fence.

Mr Dickens said there was “no evidence” of the victim having a samurai sword.

When searching Fetch’s address, officers found a single cannabis plant growing in a black tent.

Police raided the brothers' address – on Clos Nant Ddu in Ynysmeudwy – for a second time, finding 21 grams of cannabis bush, 51 grams of cocaine – estimated to have a street value of around £5,100, and £6,607.93 in cash.

Both defendants were arrested on December 27.

They both pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause GBH, possession of an offensive weapon, and producing cannabis, whilst Alexanda Fetch admitted offering to supply cocaine.

The brothers also admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession of cannabis and possession of criminal property – relating to the cash.

Alastair Fetch was accused of hitting the man several times over the head with a crowbar-like weapon. (Image: South Wales Police)

Ian Ibrahim, in mitigation, said that 25-year-old Alastair Fetch was “still young enough to change”.

“These are two brothers, I don’t know for Alexanda Fetch, but for Alastair Fetch he was addicted to cocaine at the time,” he said.

He said that Fetch’s partner had died, causing him to turn to alcohol and cocaine as a coping mechanism.

Mr Ibrahim said Fetch had been drug-free since December and was remorseful for his actions.

David Singh, for Alexanda Fetch, told the court that the root cause of the 24-year-old’s offending was his drug habit.

Mr Singh said Fetch had taken steps whilst in prison to address this, and was also working on gaining qualifications whilst in custody.

He added that the defendant’s partner was soon due to give birth.

“If nothing else, he is going to pay a heavy price for his offending,” Mr Singh said. “He will be absent for the formative years of his unborn child’s life.”

Sentencing the pair, Judge Thomas said: “You two savagely beat up a man who was trying to buy drugs from you. Quite what he did to make you act in the way that you did is not known.

“The fact that he did not have more serious injuries is a matter of luck.”

He jailed the brothers for a total of six years each.