Graig-Y-Rhacca man jailed for brain damage attack loses Court of Appeal bid to cut sentence

A Graig-Y-Rhacca man jailed for his part in a brutal attack which left a suspected burglar with brain damage has had his appeal to reduce his sentence rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Jedd Wiegold, 23, of Keeble Court, was jailed for three years and four months at Cardiff Crown Court in December last year for the attack on Nicky Maguire.

An appeal was lodged with Wiegold’s lawyers arguing his original guilty plea should have meant a greater reduction in his sentence. Court of Appeal judges earlier this month rejected the argument and ruled the punishment was justified.

Wiegold was originally jailed alongside Ryan Parry, 23, of Mountain View, Caerphilly, Ojay James, 21, of Napier Street, Caerphilly, and Mark Passmore, 26, of Milton Place, Graig-Y-Rhacca.

The four men left victim Nicky Maguire in a pool of blood in a lane after they repeatedly beat and kicked him out of revenge for an alleged burglary in which cannabis was stolen.

The attack happened on June 24 2010 after the four men spent the day searching for Mr Maguire – eventually finding him near the Court House pub in Caerphilly.

During a hearing in December last year, Cardiff Crown Court was told by prosecuting barrister Christian Jowlett how people inside the pub heard screaming coming from the outside boundary wall on the side of Caerphilly Castle.

A member of staff went outside and saw the man, unable to stand by himself, being held up and kicked and punched.

Wiegold, Parry, James and Passmore then drove Mr Maguire to Graig-Y-Rhacca and left him in a pool of blood near Addison Way.

Parry then called the victim’s brother in the early hours of the morning and told him where Mr Maguire was. Mr Maguire’s brother and sister went to find him and the court was told how they initially thought he was dead, so severe were his injuries.

He was rushed to the Gwent Hospital and was later taken to the Heath for an emergency craniotomy. Mr Maguire, whose fingerprint was found at a property after a break-in where cannabis was stolen, was left with brain damage and is now under the care of social services.

The four admitted charges of grievous bodily harm which had earlier been accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service. The four were originally due to go on trail over more serious charges of conspiracy to commit GBH.