A man whooped in celebration after avoiding jail for attacking two women while on a suspended prison sentence.
Jay Jones threatened to kill his sister Heledd Jones and her friend Dana Angus in a drunken rage. He hit Ms Angus' face with the back of his hand as she tried to help his sister.
The 20-year-old admitted the two assaults — which he committed while on a suspended nine-month jail term for another assault — but he was spared prison on Monday. As he left Cardiff Crown Court he laughed with a friend and told WalesOnline he was heading to McDonald's to celebrate avoiding jail.
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Jones, of Fleur de Lys Avenue, Pontllanfraith, assaulted Ms Jones and Ms Angus at 3am on May 29 in Caerphilly. The victims had been at a friend's address when the defendant called his sister. He seemed to be in distress, said prosecutor Kathryn Lane.
Ms Jones, Ms Angus and another friend agreed to meet him nearby. They found him intoxicated and crying. He told his sister his friend had died two days earlier.
The prosecutor told the court: "Ms Jones tried to calm the defendant down but he became agitated and verbally aggressive towards her. As he started to walk away from Ms Jones he was making unpleasant comments referencing the death of her father and her partner.
"Ms Jones shouted back at the defendant. When she did that, he turned round quickly, ran towards Ms Jones and took a balaclava out of his pocket. He put the balaclava over his face, before taking it off again. He continued to sprint towards her and at this point pushed Ms Jones hard to the chest."
The court heard she fell backwards hard and hit the floor. When Ms Jones' two friends came closer he put the balaclava back on his face and threw a can of cider at them.
Ms Lane continued: "When Ms Angus tried to help Ms Jones up, he struck Ms Angus in the face backhanded. He was shouting. 'I will kill you all.' When Ms Jones shouted she would call police, the defendant ran away."
Ms Angus was left with a bleeding, bruised and swollen nose. Jones later sent his sister a message saying he should have broken her nose.
Jones has 19 offences on his record ranging from criminal damage to racially aggravated actual bodily harm. He received a nine-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months for an assault last year involving "street violence", the court heard on Monday.
Ed Mitchard, mitigating, said his client had been "fully compliant" with the probation service throughout the suspended sentence, apart from the new offences.
"He is someone who can keep out of trouble," Mr Mitchard added. "He is now living with his grandmother in Blackwood, he has changed his routines and he is remaining out of trouble.
"It was a cry for help. A friend of his, Bradley Wilkins, had taken his own life on May 27. They had met while both in a hostel for troubled young people. He did not take the news well and drank to excess."
Judge Neil Bidder interjected: "It seems to me this had more to do with drink than the tragic death of his friend."
Mr Mitchard replied: "He has a problem with it [alcohol], as have many of his family members."
Handing down an 18-month community order, the judge told Jones: "You backhanded Ms Angus and hit her nose, causing swelling and bleeding. You have a significant record for one who is not yet 21.
"Drink is a problem you have got to start dealing with or you will start to appear more and more frequently before the court and you will start to see custodial sentences. Particularly when dealing with a man your age, I have come to the conclusion an alternative is possible in this case."
Judge Bidder imposed a £50 fine for the suspended sentence breach. Jones must do 100 hours of unpaid work and complete a thinking skills programme. The judge told him: "It will teach you to think before first of all drinking too much and second of all committing offences."
He warned that a return to court within the next 18 months would mean inevitable prison time. Jones must pay a £95 victim services surcharge.
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