Ex-footballer jailed after brutal Holbrooks pub attack

[dutchman]

Violent Richard Davies was once linked with a move to Coventry City



A talented footballer once linked with Coventry City left a man partially blinded after attacking him outside a Holbrooks pub.

Thug Richard Davies, a once-promising footballer with Derby County, punched Ian McDonald outside the Holly Bush pub.

The blow felled Mr McDonald and he was left with severe injuries to his face and eye when he landed on a glass he had been holding.

Davies, 27, of Malmsbury Avenue, Holbrooks, was jailed for 16 months after admitting causing grievous bodily harm at Warwick Crown Court.

He also admitted four offences of criminal damage and one of racially aggravated common assault on a police officer.

Prosecutor Laura Cully told how, in September last year, Mr McDonald was watching a rugby match in the pub when Davies and a friend came in.

While they were in the pub there was some sort of verbal exchange between Davies and Mr McDonald, who had known his father.

But his friend had already been banned from the pub for life, so when the landlord saw them, he told them to leave, which they did.

Mr McDonald later went outside for a cigarette, and as he was standing there Davies came rushing towards him and felled him with a single punch.

Shocked onlookers saw him lying in a pool of blood after he had landed face-down on the glass he had been holding at the time.

Mr McDonald was taken to hospital where it was found he had a fractured eye socket which had filled with blood, and a deep 4cm wound which had damaged the muscle to the right of his right eye.

As a result of the horrific injury, he has lost 30% of his sight in the eye and needs to wear sunglasses because light hurts his eye,

He also has blurred vision and may need further surgery.

When Davies was finally arrested and interviewed in March this year, he made no comment, but was subsequently identified by Mr McDonald, the landlord and two other witnesses.

He was bailed but then went on to reoffend.

In June, police were called in the early hours of the morning by residents in Gospel Oak Road, Holbrooks, where Davies was shouting, swearing and damaging cars.

During his rampage he caused more than £1,000 of damage by jumping up and down on the bonnet of a Toyota Auris, kicking the wing mirror off an Audi TT, smashing the rear window of a VW Polo and ramming a wheelie bin into a Peugeot 208.

Davies was aggressive and abusive towards the police, and had to be threatened with a Taser before being arrested.

Then in the custody suite at the police station, he spat at an officer, who had nothing to do with his arrest, before racially abusing him.

Jailing Davies, Recorder Kevin Hegarty QC told him: “For some reason, because of a remark you took exception to, you ran at Mr McDonald and landed him a mighty blow.

“He suffered a massive fracture and also suffered a deep wound when he fell onto a glass he was holding and damage to the inside wall of his eye socket.

“It is said you were destined, only four years ago, to being a promising soccer player, but troubles in your family put you off your destination and you turned to drink.”

[rebbonk]

Society won't miss him!