Three thugs who brutally assaulted a vulnerable man in his own flat took pleasure in his pain and found the ordeal "amusing", a court has heard.
The victim suffered a broken jaw and eye socket after being repeatedly kicked and punched for sending one of his attacker's girlfriend a string of flirtatious messages.
He was then threatened and coerced into blaming an innocent man for the vicious assault.
Two of the accused started their career in crime as juveniles with long histories of violence and robberies, according to Wales Online.
The victim was a man in his late 20s who had a several physical and developmental difficulties, described as being "overly trusting" during the trail at Swansea Crown Court
Jim Davis, prosecuting, said the man knew a woman by the name of Jaydee Maddocks, and the pair would chat on the Facebook Messenger platform. He said the victim was in the habit of calling women he knew "babes", and in some of the messages had made it clear that he found his friend attractive. These messages were seen by Miss Maddocks’ partner, 29-year-old Alexander Hill.
The court heard that on November 13, 2020, Miss Maddocks arranged for the victim to go to her flat in the Blaenymaes area of Swansea. She was not present when he arrived at the address but turned up a short time later with her boyfriend and two other men by the names of Kieran Hill, aged 25, and 30-year-old Shaun Wood.
The victim was given a can of alcohol, and later when he went into the kitchen to get a glass of water was followed by the three men who all took it in turns to punch him in the head, Alexander Hill doing so while holding an unknown object in his hand. The bleeding man fell to the floor and the trio then repeatedly punched and kicked him while he curled up into a ball to try to protect himself in what the prosecutor described as a "sustained assault".
At the end of the attack Alexander Hill threw a towel at the injured man and told him to clean himself up - he tried to leave the kitchen but his escape was blocked and he was told he was "going nowhere". Mr Davis said the trio seemed to find the incident "amusing".
The victim was eventually allowed to leave but was told he should blame a man called Connor Abrahams for the assault, an instruction from Alexander Hill which he backed-up with threats of extreme violence against the man and members of his family.
The court heard the victim walked home to the house he shared with his mother, and such was his level of fear did initially give a false version of events claiming he had been "jumped" by Connor Abrahams in the street and beaten up. However he later told the truth.
The prosecutor said the victim suffered a fractured eye socket and fractured jaw which needed surgery to fit metal plates and screws, and also had to have two teeth removed. He had to spend a couple of days in hospital.
The three defendants were identified, arrested, and interviewed. The victim's DNA was subsequently found on Alexander Hill's trainers. The court heard that while the matter was being investigated by police, Kieran Hill saw the victim outside the victim's house one day when he was in the area visiting his dad, and shouted a series of angry threats at him including that he would "slice him up".
In an impact statement from the victim which was read to the court he said the attack had left him scared to leave the house, and suffering with flashbacks and nightmares. He said he thought the three men had been his friends and he was now fearful that other friends may also assault him.
Alexander Nicholas Hill, of Robin Road, Blaenymaes, Swansea; Kieran Lewis Hill, of Heol Maes Eglwys, Morriston; and Shaun Anthony James John Wood, of Gors Avenue, Mayhill, Swansea, had all previously pleaded guilty on the day they were due to stand trial to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. Alexander Hill had also previously pleaded guilty to making threats to kill, and Wood had previously been convicted of witness intimidation following a trial before magistrates.
Alexander Hill has previous convictions for robbery, attempted robbery, unlawful wounding, affray and violent disorder. Kieran Hill has previous convictions for battery and public order matters. Wood has previous conviction for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, robbery, attempted robbery, battery and house burglaries.
Stephen Rees, for Alexander Hill, said since the age of 23 his client had spent most of his years in prison, however, latterly, had worked for a time in a Royal Mail sorting office and had led a "relatively settled life" with his partner. He said the messages sent from the complainant to Hill's girlfriend Jaydee - such as "you are stunning babes, come up my mum's", "come meet me by the water tower in Penlan" and "I always liked you even before you got with Alex" - suggested he had wanted a closer relationship. The barrister said his client had been "affronted and jealous" and that "things got out of hand when they were all together in the flat".
Tom Scapens, for Kieran Hill, invited the court to find his client was more lightly convicted than his co-accused, and said the fact that Hill's partner was pregnant and expecting their first child would be a "significant beacon of resolve" for him in spending his time in custody wisely and then not re-offending once released.
David Singh, for Wood, said it was conceded the defendant had been involved in a "particularly unpleasant group incident", and had a long and unenviable record for offending. He said his client had endured a "difficult background" following the murder of his mother when he was aged just three, and had battled with drugs for many years.
Judge Huw Rees said the motive for the assault were messages sent from the victim to Alexander Hill's girlfriend, messages which "speak for themselves". He said not only was the victim a vulnerable man but the defendants had "appeared to be amused" by what they had done to him.
With 10 per cent discounts for their guilty pleas Alexander Hill was sentenced to 65 months in prison, Kieran Hill to 59 months in prison, and Shaun Wood to 61 months in prison. The defendants will serve up to half those periods in custody before being released on licence to serve the reminder in the community.
The trio had originally also been facing a charge of unlawful imprisonment - a common law offence - but the judge said facts of that offence had incorporated into the grievous bodily harm offence.
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