Monday 23 April 2012
Six years for thug who left man with ‘catastrophic’ brain injuries
By KARON KELLY
Published on Saturday 21 April 2012 18:00
MARTIAL arts thug Rhys Iles is behind bars today after a sickening attack left his victim with “catastrophic” brain injuries.
Iles beat 49-year-old John Gibson so severely he can now only communicate using his thumb.
A court was told offshore worker Iles, 28, knocked Mr Gibson unconscious with a powerful blow before kneeling over him and raining a further four or five “sickening blows” on his defenceless victim.
It was initially feared Mr Gibson would not survive the brutal attack.
Iles, of George Scott Street, South Shields, had already pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was back at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday where he was jailed for six years.
The court heard how Mr Gibson got involved in a row when a group of women jumped into a taxi booked by him and his partner to take them home from the Roker Hotel, in Sunderland, last July.
A scuffle broke out that ended up with Iles, who was best man at a wedding party being held at the venue, getting involved.
Iles and Mr Gibson, who had a history of ill-feeling between them, ended up fighting.
But when Mr Gibson went to walk away Iles launched a further attack where witnesses describe him hurling “sickening” blows to Mr Gibson’s head.
The court was told former fisherman Mr Gibson will never fully recover and his condition is not expected to greatly improve.
He is still in hospital where he is fed through a tube directly into his stomach and needs a hoist to move and cannot even swallow.
Prosecutor Julian Smith told the court: “He has limited movement on the left side of his body, that includes the use of his thumb, and some ability to move his limbs but very weak.
“There is no movement to his limbs on the right. He has profound communication problems.
“Though it is difficult to asses, it is believed there is significant cognitive impairments.
“He will never be capable of living independently.”
Efforts are being made to teach Mr Gibson to use a touch pad computer to help with communication but it is a substantial and very long process.
The court was told the taxi row broke out in the early hours of the morning, which led to the fight between Mr Gibson and Iles.
Mr Gibson had started walking off up the road, though may have turned around and said something, when Iles went after him, knocking him to the ground with “a very powerful blow
Mr Smith said: “He was unconscious and made no effort to defend himself but Mr Iles approached him, knelt or crouched down beside him and punched him four to five times with clenched fists to his head.”
The court heard one witness described the punches as “sickening blows” while Mr Gibson lay defenceless.
Jailing him Judge John Milford told Iles: “The initial incident of violence between you was not serious and it was broken up and that could and should have been the end of it.
“Sadly it was not.
“The result was Mr Gibson has suffered what the consultant describes as severe brain injury.
“I prefer catastrophic.
“He is no longer capable of independent living, he has little powers of communication, he is still in hospital where he receives full time care and that looks to be, I’m sad to say, the future for him.”
The judge said he was constrained by government guidelines in determining the prison sentence.
He added: “No sentence that this court can pass will ever seem sufficient for the family.”
Robert Adams, defending, said: “He did not intend this level of injury, it was far in excess of what he ever contemplated.”
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Originally Posted by GeneChing
