Man jailed for serious assault in Newport

A man has been jailed for four years after almost killing another man on the Isle of Wight.

In the early hours of the morning on 21 February 2021, police were called by the ambulance service to a house in Caesars Road, Newport, following reports that a man had been knocked unconscious.

The victim, a man in his 50s, was found bleeding from the nose, mouth and ears.

Enquiries led police to 28-year-old Felix Hetherington, of St Edmund’s Walk in Wootton, who was arrested for the assault.

During a trial at Isle of Wight Crown Court, which began on 14 November 2022, the jury heard how Hetherington had badly beaten the victim, leaving him in a life-threatening condition in hospital.

As a result of the assault, the man suffered a concussion, a fractured wrist, fractured cheek, fractured jaw, a bleed on the brain, and abdominal trauma which required immediate surgery.

The court heard that he would have died had it not been for medical intervention.

Hetherington was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent – an offence he denied.

A jury unanimously found him guilty of the alternative offence of causing grievous bodily harm without intent, and he appeared at Isle of Wight Crown Court again today (Friday 24 February 2023) where he sentenced to four years in prison.

Following the sentencing, DC Ed Stenning said: “This was a shocking and brutal assault which very nearly killed a man.

“Had it not been for the efforts of paramedics and medical staff at the hospital, the victim in this case would not have survived the injuries he sustained.

“The level of violence perpetrated by Hetherington was appalling, and I hope his conviction sends a strong message to our communities that violence is simply unacceptable, and there are serious consequences for those that harm others in this way.”