A man with a significant criminal record has been jailed after repeatedly punching an 82-year-old motorist through the open window of his car in Newport while holding his keys.
Anthony Morgan, 54, who is of no fixed abode, was handed a total sentence of two years and four months by Recorder Greg Bull KC.
The charges
Morgan admitted four offences:
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
- Possession of an offensive weapon
- Two counts of failing to surrender to bail
What happened
The court heard the elderly driver was heading towards Clarence Place, passing beneath the railway bridge on East Usk Road, at about 12.45pm on 24 September 2025 when Morgan walked out in front of his vehicle.
According to prosecutor Abdallah Barakat, the motorist told him words to the effect of: ‘I could have killed you’.
Morgan then made his way round to the driver’s door and struck the man several times in the face and on the arm through the open window, with his keys in his hand.
As he lashed out, he told the driver he was “going to get knife” to finish the job.
The attack was brought to an end when two passers-by stepped in and shouted at Morgan to leave the driver alone.
The injuries
The 82-year-old was left with two black eyes, a bloodshot eye and a loose tooth, as well as cuts to his nose, ear and arm.
Mr Barakat read a statement from the victim to the court, in which he said:
“The injuries caused me to become unsightly.
“I didn’t want to go out for at least a week.
“I was unable to eat properly for two weeks.”
Morgan’s version of events
After his arrest, Morgan handed police a prepared statement in interview. In it, he claimed he had leaned towards the car door to say sorry, only for the driver to punch him twice in the face, leaving his nose bleeding, before driving off.
He later pleaded guilty to the charges.
Previous convictions and mitigation
The court was told Morgan had 17 previous convictions covering 40 offences, 11 of them for offences against a person.
Representing him, Kevin Seal accepted that his client’s record “doesn’t do him any credit”, but pointed out that his most recent conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm dated back to 2003.
Mr Seal said:
“He acknowledges he should not have attacked [the victim] in the way that he did.
“He accepts that his reaction was completely disproportionate.”
Sentencing
Speaking directly to Morgan, Recorder Bull said:
“You completely lost your temper.
“You have a significant record of previous offending.
“It happened in a public place in broad daylight.
“The only real mitigation is you had the good sense to plead guilty.”
Morgan was jailed for a total of two years and four months.
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