Homeless man beaten by thugs in Llandudno before having his tent stolen

the victim said said the attack left him with ‘lumps on his head’ and a patch of his hair was missing

A homeless man was attacked and robbed in Llandudno by thugs who wrongly thought he was a sex offender. The victim was punched and kicked during the “nasty” incident in the seaside town.

David Hayward, 41, has been jailed for 12 months for actual bodily harm against the victim. Katie Davies, 24, was jailed for 16 months, suspended for two years, for robbing the man in the same incident.

Joshua Gorst, prosecuting, told Caernarfon Crown Court that the victim had been sitting outside Sainsbury’s on Mostyn Street in Llandudno on October 26, 2024. He had a tent, a sleeping bag and a rucksack, reports North Wales Live.

One of his attackers showed a story on a mobile phone wrongly indicating that he had been involved in a sex offence, when it was a different person of the same name. Hayward slapped the victim and Davies splattered him with cider and took his tent, the court heard.

Davies also called the victim a “tramp,” said Mr Gorst. Hayward, Davies and another man then led the victim around the back of the former Marks and Spencer store and into a car park. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

Hayward punched the victim, who fell to the floor, and kicked him. Eventually the victim managed to get away and ran to Llandudno train station and rang police.

Officers identified Hayward, Davies and the other man from CCTV footage. Hayward told police that he was intimidated by the victim and denied taking his property.

The court heard Hayward has 74 convictions for 175 offences.

In a statement, the victim said he had “lumps on his head,” an extremely bad headache and a small patch of his hair was missing.

Sarah Yates, defending Hayward, said he had had paranoid schizophrenia and was alcohol dependent to try to relieve some of the symptoms.

She said Hayward accepts he had acted “abominably” towards the victim.

Elen Owen, defending Davies, said she had suffered childhood trauma and been “street homeless” herself. She said Davies had felt “peer pressure” from the other two men – Hayward and their companion.

Ms Owen added: “She felt that if she did not go along with what was going on violence may well have been directed towards her.”

She accepts she assaulted the victim in the “unplanned attack”. It was out of character. She lives a long way from North Wales now and works shifts.

The judge, His Honour Timothy Petts, said the victim had been homeless, extremely vulnerable and was left shaken and scared.

He jailed Hayward, of Pwllycrochan Avenue, Colwyn Bay, and imposed the suspended sentence on Davies, of Canterbury Way, Stevenage.

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