60-year-old Paul Wiggins attacked his neighbour, Paul D’Urso with a wooden chair leg before kicking and stamping on him during the assault, which took place on 3 November last year.
Swansea Crown Court heard that the feud between the two men, along with another friend, 48-year-old Paul Matthews, started over D’Urso refusal to lend money to Wiggins drinking a drinking session at Wiggins’ flat.
Following the assault, D’Urso was taken to hospital where he was encouraged to report the attack to police. Wiggins and Matthews were both arrested, however Wiggins was subsequently released.
Angry at his arrest, Wiggins then attacked D’Urso again two days later on 5 November, striking his face repeatedly with a metal ball inside a long sock.
D’Urso required hospital treatment for facial reconstruction after the second attack including jaw realignment and a metal plate in his face.
Swansea Crown Court was read a victim statement from D’Urso in which he said he was “left… feeling like a different person” following the incident.
D’Urso said in his statement: “I’ve lost all confidence. I was an outgoing and independent person. I cared for my mother who is blind. Now I feel I can’t look after myself and I fear I can’t look after my mother.
“At night when drifting off to sleep I’m startled by noises, thinking I’m going to be attacked again. I’m living in fear. Mr Wiggins lives within 200m of my flat and I’m scared he might try and harm me again.
“My teeth were knocked loose and my back teeth were cracked. I now find it too painful to wear dentures and my speech is unclear. I’m struggling to remember what day it is.
“I was of the belief I was going to die. I have children and grandchildren who need me and these attacks nearly took me from them.”
Wiggins changed his plea to causing grievous bodily harm with intent from Not Guilty to Guilty earlier this month, and has now been sentenced to five years and five months in prison. He has also bee issued an indefinite restraining order preventing him from approaching D’Urso in any way.
Sergeant Mark Bateman, from South Wales Police said: “Paul Wiggins’ violence went way beyond a simple disagreement. For him to use an everyday object as a weapon like this shows that he intended to cause serious harm to his victim.
“That’s exactly what happened, with the victim’s facial injuries meaning that they had difficulty with both eating and talking for a good time following the assault.
“It is only right that Paul Wiggins goes to prison before he does this to anyone else.”
