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Oct 27, 2023

Llay man jailed after punch left victim with life changing injury

A MAN has been jailed after throwing one punch which left his victim with

A MAN has been jailed after throwing one punch which left his victim with "catastrophic" life-changing injuries.

Adam Chamberlin, of Second Avenue in Llay, appeared at Mold Crown Court for sentence on Thursday.

The 38-year-old had previously admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm to Craig Lewis-Williams on November 7, 2021.

Nicola Williams, prosecuting, said in the early hours of the morning, after visiting friends to have some drinks, Mr Lewis-Williams offered to walk a woman named Zoe Chamberlin home.

As they came to an alleyway near Sixth Avenue, Llay, her husband - the defendant - pulled up in his car and got out, accusing her of cheating on him.

He punched Mr Lewis-Williams in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground.

The defendant fled the scene, leaving his intoxicated wife with the defendant, but returned nine minutes later to call an ambulance.

He neglected to tell the call handler he'd assaulted the victim, blaming the incident on him by saying he'd fallen when drunk.

Shortly after ambulance staff arrived, he was heard to say: "I'm getting out of here," and left again.

Chamberlin's lies about the cause of the incident unravelled when he was questioned by police.

He admitted: "I'm in the s*** here, I caught him and my wife kissing down an alleyway. I've hit him. He's gone over. I'm sorry."

Ms Chamberlin changed her explanation of the event, the court heard, initially switching back and forth between her husband's explanation and that he'd been assaulted - then 10 days later telling police she'd recalled sharing a kiss with the victim in the alley as her husband pulled up, describing it as a "drunken mistake."

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But Nicola Williams said there was no independent evidence to substantiate this claim, with the defendant and his wife being the only ones to claim it - and both of them having lied in their initial accounts.

The court saw CCTV footage of the incident lasting just 30 seconds, in which the catastrophic blow was delivered.

When ambulance staff arrived, they found Mr Lewis-Williams unresponsive but breathing and blood pooling behind his head.

He was taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital in a comatose state, before being transferred to Stoke.

It was discovered his skull was fractured, and there was bleeding between the brain and skull, as well as inside the brain.

A decompressive craniectomy was carried out to remove a portion of his skull, and the bleeding was so excessive that he required a blood transfusion.

While at stoke he went into anaphylactic shock and developed respiratory issues, as well as pneumonia.

In the following months, he suffered issues with his sight, memory, seizures, swallowing, communicating, movement and cognitive function.

Doctors have said as a result of the attack, he has been left with life-changing disabilities.

There has been no significant improvement in his condition, the court heard - and tragically none is expected in the future.

Ms Williams said the one punch thrown by the defendant had caused "permanent irreversible injury" which meant the victim would have a lifelong dependence on care.

"It has been nothing short of catastrophic," she said.

Anna Lewis-Williams, the victim's wife, attended court to read her victim personal statement.

She said the early-morning knock on her door when police came to inform her what had happened was the beginning of a nightmare.

Speaking of seeing him in hospital, she said: "I've been a nurse for 18 years, but nothing prepared me for that moment.

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"There were tubes and pipes everywhere. There were so many machines, it was overwhelming.

"Craig and I made plans for when we were older. Our hopes and dreams were crushed."

She explained her work at the Countess of Chester Hospital had to come to an end as she became a full-time carer.

"Our whole family life was turned upside down," she continued.

"I felt suffocated, with a massive weight.

"As well as being a full-time carer, I was the only one able to take care of our ten-year-old son.

"I felt exhausted - living in survival mode.

"I watch him struggle to walk, he's unable to feed himself or take himself to the toilet.

"He suffers seizures and has a feeding tube into his stomach.

"He's paralysed down the left side. I am about to lose our family home to pay for Craig to go into a nursing home.

"What happened that night not only affected Craig - it ruined mine and my son's life forever.

"We will never be the family we were. All because of one punch."

Henry Hills, defending, said: "In my submission he is genuinely remorseful.

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This was the result of a momentary loss of control on the part of Mr Chamberlin; a moment of madness.

"He's a committed family man who loves his wife and 12-year-old daughter.

"He is well respected by his colleagues for his integrity and personality."

Judge Timothy Petts told Mrs Lewis-Williams: "No one who has heard what you said could fail to be moved.

"What happened to him was utterly horrendous and what has happened to you, your son and stepdaughter is devastating.

"You have my heartfelt sympathy and admiration for all you have done to care for him and your son."

Turning to Chamberlin, the Judge continued: "What you did was an unjustified act of violence. A blow with force and without warning, giving Craig severe injuries and no opportunity to defend himself.

"You left him unconscious and bleeding - driving off without taking any steps to check on him and leaving him with your intoxicated wife.

"Your remorse has to be put into the context that you could have called an ambulance immediately."

He said the defendant's "short-lived rage" had ruined the lives of the victim and his family, emphasising to the court that the sentence he was about to deliver was constrained by the parameters set out in legal guidelines, and that by law he had to afford the defendant a reduction for his guilty plea.

Chamberlin was jailed for one year and four months.

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