Cardiff Crown Court (Image: Wales Updates)
Last Updated: 40 seconds ago
A young man who modified a baseball bat with staples and used it to attack his stepfather has been given a suspended prison sentence at Cardiff Crown Court.
Deacon Watkins, 21, of Beechfield Avenue, Newport, was sentenced on Monday after previously pleading guilty to unlawful wounding. He was 19 at the time of the offence.
The confrontation
The court heard the assault took place in late February 2024, when Watkins’ stepfather John Smithson arrived at the family home having bought fish and chips.
Prosecutor Paul Hewitt said Watkins confronted Mr Smithson while brandishing the bat and demanded he leave the property.
“Mr Smithson sought to leave the property, forgetting his car keys. He came back and the defendant has struck him; a single strike,” Mr Hewitt said.
The single blow left visible marks on the bridge of Mr Smithson’s nose and around his eye. Mr Hewitt described “severe swelling and bruising” as a result. Watkins left the property after the attack.
The injuries
Mr Smithson was taken to hospital suffering from blurred vision. A CT scan found no fractures, but he had sustained a severe wound to his eye and was referred to specialists for further assessment.
While he was said to have made a “somewhat full” recovery, doctors warned he may experience ongoing eye complications in the future, including a possible detached retina.
Defence
Kevin Seal, representing Watkins, told the court his client had demonstrated “genuine remorse” and had “matured somewhat in the last couple of years”.
He accepted Watkins had personally embedded the staples into the wooden bat, but argued there was “nothing sinister behind that” – such as any connection to drug dealing.
Mr Seal instead attributed the modification to his client “watching too many video games of a violent nature”, though he added this was “not an excuse”. He described Watkins as a “young fit man who is capable and intelligent”.
Watkins has no previous convictions.
Sentencing
Recorder Andrew Hammond told the court that Mr Smithson had written a letter stating he did not want to see his stepson go to prison.
Nevertheless, the recorder described the decision to embed staples into the bat as a “noteworthy and disturbing feature of the case”.
Watkins was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, after the court found he had a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.
He must also complete 150 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and pay a £187 surcharge. A deprivation order was made for the destruction and forfeiture of the weapon.
