A father launched a shocking attack on a teenage girl, threatening ‘I’ll kill you’ before punching her to the ground.
46-year-old Dean Devonald was captured on video punching the 15-year-old on May 20, 2024 on Aberavon Beach in Wales. The disturbing incident occurred when Devonald drove to the beachfront and targeted one girl from a group he believed had been bullying his daughter.
Footage shown at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday revealed Devonald striking the girl from behind, hitting her left cheek and causing her nose to bleed.
Videos recorded by one of the victim’s friends on Snapchat, which were later shared with the police, shows Devonald threaten: « Touch my daughter again and I’ll kill you you c***. »
Devonald quickly fled the scene in his car but was later arrested by South Wales Police officers on May 27. He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm on October 8.
Devonald denied the charge but later pleaded guilty at a plea and trial preparation hearing, reports Wales Online.
Prosecutor Dean Pulling told the court that Devonald had attempted to contact the victim’s mum before the incident and then decided to head to the seafront, where he « sought out » the girl.
Pulling described how the defendant ran towards the girl before making such strong contact with her that it forced her to the floor.
One distressed girl who witnessed the attack detailed how Devonald appeared « red-faced and angry ».
She spoke candidly about being « upset and distressed » because of the assault and its significant impact on her daily life, confessing it has heightened her anxiety when outdoors.
Defending, Jon Tarrant advocated for Devonald, said that his client had a clean criminal record. He stressed that this was an isolated reaction to exceptional circumstances unlikely to recur, saying: « It doesn’t justify it. He feels great remorse and shame about what has occurred. It was a momentary action which he bitterly regrets. »
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Catherine Richards said: « You sought her out and, overwhelmed with rage, you hit her. »
Despite acknowledging the short duration, she emphasised the gravity of the attack on a 15 year old: « It was not a prolonged incident but it was astonishing. She was 15 years of age and you were 45. »
Judge Richards added that Devonald appeared sincerely sorry and the incident was out of character. She said: « I accept the remorse and shame you showed in the pre-sentence report is genuine. It appears the person you were in those moments does not reflect your character as a whole. »
Devonald, of Western Avenue in Port Talbot, was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months. Additionally, he has been ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, pay £900 compensation to the victim and adhere to a restraining order barring him from any contact with the young girl for one year.
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