Merthyr Man Jailed for Vicious Screw Attack and Assault

A Merthyr Tydfil man has been sentenced to prison after two violent attacks, including stabbing a man in the face with a roofing screw. 🚨

Sean McCarthy, 54, of Bro y Ffrwd, Swansea Road, attacked Andrew Jones in Merthyr Tydfil on March 20 last year. The victim had been visiting his parents when he encountered McCarthy, whom he knew. After Mr Jones said, “What are you looking at Sean?”, McCarthy approached him saying, “What the f*** do you mean?” before unzipping his jacket and pulling out a six-inch roofing screw.

During the assault, McCarthy pushed Mr Jones to the chest, causing him to flee before a struggle ensued, with Jones falling into bushes. McCarthy jumped on top of him, grabbed his neck, and held the screw to his neck, telling him: “I am going to do you prison-style.”

Though Mr Jones managed to push McCarthy’s hand away from his neck, the defendant then pushed the screw into Mr Jones’ left cheek, punched him twice, and headbutted him four times to the nose. A witness intervened after Mr Jones had been pinned to the floor for three minutes.

Mr Jones suffered cuts and puncture wounds to his chest, a wound to his scalp, grazes to his forehead and face, two wounds to the left side of his face, a nose wound, and tenderness to his jaw and neck.

While on bail, McCarthy went on to assault Anthony Williams on February 8 in Wheatsheaf Lane, Merthyr Tydfil. Police found the victim in possession of a hammer, but CCTV revealed McCarthy had been struggling with Mr Williams, who fell to the floor before being kicked and stamped to the head by McCarthy.

McCarthy, who has 49 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to section 20 wounding and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. His defence cited “genuine remorse” and claimed he was a “different person” when not under the influence of illicit substances. The court heard his drug abuse stemmed from childhood physical abuse and that he has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Judge Lucy Crowther sentenced McCarthy to 27 months imprisonment and imposed a 10-year restraining order. ⚖️