DRIVER JAILED FOR OAP ATTACK
A CARE home's financial manager was jailed for three months for a vicious road-rage attack on a pensioner.Newport crown court heard Myles Bryant (pictured), aged 36, of Christchurch Road, Newport, repeatedly punched 68-year-old Julio Diez after a minor driving misunderstanding.
After learning his attacker was jailed, Mr Diez told the Argus yesterday: "I don't think it's enough.
He should have had more - something like a year." Mr Diez's terrified wife, Brenda, 65, who had watched as Bryant punched him, then slammed the door against his leg, added: "We were always told to respect older people - not to beat them up for no reason." Bryant - who also kicked both side doors of the couple's BMW - was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and damaging property following a trial earlier this month.
At the time of the May 16 attack he was financial manager of St John's Residential Home on Chepstow Road, Newport.
After his conviction the home said he had been "removed".
Describing the attack as "nasty and unprovoked", Recorder John Powell yesterday sentenced Bryant to three months for assault causing actual bodily harm and one month for criminal damage, to run concurrently.
Bryant must serve half the term before being released on a suspended sentence.
The court heard the incident happened after Mr and Mrs Diez, of Risca, were returning from the Royal Gwent Hospital, where Mr Diez had been for a cancer check-up.
They stopped at Tesco on Cardiff Road, Newport, where Bryant pulled in front of them and shouted abuse after a minor driving incident, then attacked Mr Diez.
Bryant - who has previous convictions, including assaulting a police officer - was with his pregnant girlfriend, Kelly Morgan, at the time, and her six-year-old daughter.
Meirion Davies, mitigating, said Bryant was a single parent and was terrified a prison sentence would affect his young son.
He highlighted eight letters of testimonial to Bryant's good character, and added Mr Diez's injuries were unpleasant but not severe.
He told the court Newport council was investigating the care home and Bryant had been suspended from his work.
After the case, former engineer Mr Diez, who has plates in his face after surgery for sinus cancer, said: "I hope it's taught him a lesson.
"I thought he was crazy.
To this day I don't know what it was all about." Mrs Diez said: "We don't go shopping in that area any more in case we see him again.
I hope they can make a better person of him."
