A violent teenager who battered a pensioner while he was walking his dog has been jailed.
Ethan Bartlett, spat at, kicked and punched the 72-year-old following an altercation over the man’s pet during which the teen had a bag of dog poo thrown at him.
The court heard that Barlett previously attacked a 13-year-old girl, assaulted a policeman, punched a man with learning difficulties, and spat at one of his former teachers.
The incident involving the pensioner took place on July 21 when he encountered Bartlett and two females, whilst walking his dog on the towpath of a canal, according to a report in Wales Online.
During the attack in Swansea Valley, Bartlett was heard to say: “If that dog doesn’t move it will be in the canal” and the pensioner challenged him about the comment.
David Singh, prosecuting at Swansea Crown Court, said Bartlett asked the dog walker how old he was and then said: “I’m 21 – I can take you out.”
The altercation then turned physical with the pensioner throwing a bag of dog poo at Bartlett and Bartlett taking the man to the floor and punching and kicking his victim as well as spitting at him.
Mr Singh said the pensioner was left dazed and suffering with cuts, bruises, and soreness all over his body.
In an impact statement which was read to the court, the victim said the experience had left him feeling concerned about going out.
Bartlett was arrested on the evening of the assault and said he believed an unknown male had attacked both him and the pensioner on the towpath of the canal between Trebanos and Pontardawe.
Bartlett, now aged 20, of Swansea Road, Pontardawe, had previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he appeared in the dock via video-link from prison for sentencing.
He has seven previous convictions for 12 offences including a series of assaults which have seen him punching or spitting at people including a police officer, a 13-year-old-girl, a woman, and one of his former teachers.
At the time of the canal assault he was subject to a suspended sentence imposed in October 2019 for attacking a man with learning difficulties.
He also has a caution for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Hywel Davies, for Bartlett, said in that their conference the defendant had described “losing his head” after the bag of dog mess was thrown at him.
He said his client was taking steps to address his misuse of drugs and “bitterly regrets” his actions on the day in question. The barrister added painting and decorating was the defendant’s passion and was something he wanted to pursue in the future.
Judge Paul Thomas QC said many words came to mind when thinking about Bartlett’s behaviour on the towpath, the most polite of which was “cowardly”.
He said it may have been “ill-advised” for the pensioner to throw the bag of dog poo but he described the defendant as a “violent young man” and said it seemed the only way the courts could deal with him was by locking him up.
Giving the defendant the required one-third discount for his guilty plea the judge sentenced him to 12 months in prison and also activated two months of the previously-imposed suspended sentence to run consecutively.
Bartlett will serve up to half the 14-month period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
