A man has been handed a lengthy prison term after an unprovoked attack in Cardiff left another individual permanently blinded in one eye. The incident, which sent shockwaves through the Llanrumney community, occurred on Glastonbury Terrace last September, resulting in the victim sustaining severe facial injuries that continue to affect him months later.
Connor Lee Hobbs, 31, had only recently become acquainted with the man he went on to attack. According to evidence presented at Newport Crown Court, what began as a seemingly amicable encounter in a Cardiff flat swiftly deteriorated, culminating in violence that would have lasting repercussions for both men.
The court heard that Hobbs and his victim had been socialising after being introduced through mutual contacts. However, the atmosphere changed abruptly while the pair were in the kitchen, when Hobbs reportedly challenged his companion with the words, “What the f*** you looking at?” Without apparent warning, Hobbs launched a physical attack, wielding a knife that was present in the residence.
During the assault, the victim was stabbed multiple times and suffered a particularly devastating injury when the weapon sliced through his eyelid and struck his left eyeball. In a desperate attempt to escape, the man was chased from the property, further adding to the terror of the ordeal.
Emergency services responded quickly, cordoning off a section of Glastonbury Terrace as police began their investigation. The injured man was rushed to hospital by ambulance and underwent urgent surgery in an effort to repair the damage to his eye. Nevertheless, as revealed through his victim impact statement, the consequences of the attack have been profound and ongoing.
Recalling the events and their aftermath, the victim described the immense pain and upheaval he has experienced since. He shared how he had to endure major surgery and was heavily medicated in the days that followed, with little memory of that period. After his release from hospital, he also found himself without a home, compounding the trauma. “Even now, seven months on, my eyeball is still painful,” the victim stated. “I also suffer from pins and needles on my left cheek. I can only sleep on my right-hand side.”
The medical prognosis for the victim has been bleak. Doctors have informed him he will never regain sight in his left eye—a life-altering reality that he described as “the worst thing that has ever happened to me.” The emotional and physical toll of the incident has left him struggling with persistent sleep deprivation and fatigue.
In court, Hobbs’ defence barrister, Heath Edwards, argued that his client had not set out to commit a violent act that day, adding that Hobbs led what was described as a “chaotic lifestyle.” The lawyer contended that the weapon used in the attack was picked up at the scene amid the escalation of the dispute, and not brought to the flat with intent.
Aside from the stabbing, further details emerged of Hobbs’ criminal conduct. He was also sentenced for an earlier incident in May when he was involved in a dangerous car chase, reaching speeds of up to 80mph before police apprehended him in a nearby field. These cumulative offences contributed to the length of his custodial sentence.
Ultimately, Judge Harrison sentenced Connor Hobbs to a total of 13 years and four months imprisonment for his crimes. The severity of the sentence reflected both the violence of the attack and the lasting harm caused to the victim. The outcome serves as a notable example of the courts’ willingness to impose lengthy jail terms for violent conduct, particularly when it results in life-changing injuries.
The case highlights the unpredictable nature of violence and its far-reaching consequences, both for those who commit such acts and the individuals who suffer from them. With Cardiff residents reeling from the disturbing details, it stands as a sobering reminder of the devastating impact that one moment of aggression can have on an entire community.