A dog walker has been jailed after launching a violent assault on a man with a pint glass, leaving the victim with a deep wound just millimetres from his eye. The altercation occurred after the attacker hurled verbal abuse at a woman in the street, which prompted the victim to intervene.
Mohammed Hafiz, 38, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court following the incident on 15 March in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. The attack left Morgan Wiseman with serious facial injuries, including a laceration dangerously close to his left eye. The two men, it was revealed, had previously attended school together.
The court was told that the events unfolded shortly after Mr Wiseman and a friend visited a local pub. While walking along Barry Road, they encountered Hafiz, who was out with his dog. After a brief conversation, Hafiz asked if he could take a sip from Mr Wiseman’s pint — a request which Wiseman granted. However, the situation soon escalated.
According to prosecutor Nuhu Gobir, Hafiz began shouting at a woman across the road, using derogatory language. The woman rebuffed him and told him to leave her alone. Disapproving of Hafiz’s conduct, Mr Wiseman stepped in to defend the woman. Hafiz’s response was aggressive; he squared up to Mr Wiseman and, in a confrontational manner, asked, “You wanna go as well do you?”
What followed was a sudden act of violence. Hafiz, still holding the pint glass, swung it towards Mr Wiseman. The victim instinctively raised his arm in self-defence, causing the glass to shatter against his hand. Fragments of glass struck Mr Wiseman’s face, and he soon felt a sharp pain near his eye. Blood ran down his face and wrists from multiple wounds.
Medical reports detailed a 1.5cm laceration to Mr Wiseman’s wrist and a deep cut just above his left eye, which required urgent attention at the University Hospital of Wales. Doctors noted that the eye injury was less than a centimetre from potentially blinding the victim.
Police quickly identified Hafiz via local CCTV footage and arrested him. During questioning, Hafiz admitted to striking Mr Wiseman but maintained he had felt threatened and claimed he believed the victim might be armed. He initially denied using the glass as a weapon, but later pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.
The court heard that Hafiz has a troubling history, with 60 previous convictions including offences of common assault, affray, battery, and possession of a bladed article. At the time of the assault, Hafiz was under the influence of alcohol, cocaine, and pregabalin, the court was told.
A personal statement from Mr Wiseman highlighted the ongoing impact of the attack. He revealed how the incident left him anxious about being in public places and fearful of encountering Hafiz again. The assault has affected both his mental wellbeing and social life, forcing him to change his routines and avoid certain areas of Barry.
Defence counsel Ruth Smith told the court that her client expressed “genuine remorse” for his actions and was struggling with mental health issues and the recent loss of stable housing. However, these mitigating factors were insufficient to avoid a custodial sentence.
Judge Paul Hobson sentenced Hafiz to 21 months’ imprisonment and imposed a five-year restraining order to protect Mr Wiseman from any future contact.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating physical and psychological consequences that random acts of street violence can have on victims and the wider community. The court’s decision highlights the seriousness with which such crimes are treated, especially where pre-existing patterns of offending exist.
The victim’s experiences also underscore the importance of addressing not only the immediate consequences of such attacks, but the longer-term support needed for recovery. The community will undoubtedly hope that lessons are learned and that similar incidents can be prevented in future.