Jail for hockey stick brute who partially blinded 'love rival' at pub

William Jeffcoat appeared not to react as Judge Peter Crabtree sent him down for 11-and-a-half years for partially blinding one victim and leaving another with a scarred face as a permanent reminder of the brutal assault.

Attack

Swindon Crown Court this morning heard the 30-year-old had been left distraught after his relationship broke down. His former girlfriend worked at The Bell pub in Ramsbury, where he had previously worked as a chef.

In the run up to the attack in late November last year, he became convinced his former girlfriend had been having a sexual relationship with another chef at the pub – although the woman denied this.

He texted her in the days before the assault threatening to kill himself. He had also sent messages to his supposed rival for her affections.

On the evening of November 29, he drove over to The Bell intending to speak to the man. As he had left his home in Aldbourne he picked up a hockey stick from by the front door, where it had been left after a clear-out.

The hockey stick used in the attack Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

He left the stick, which he had used at school, in his car but was spotted by his ex in the kitchens with a bottle of wine stolen from the pub.

When he couldn’t find the man, Jeffcoat left the pub and got back in his car.

At 11.30pm he sent his ex a text, asking where the man was. At around the same time, the other chef messaged Jeffcoat to say he would be back soon.

At 11.41pm, Jeffcoat texted his ex a picture of the hockey stick.

The Bell, Ramsbury

The chef was back at the pub by around 11.45pm. His victims described him charging across the car park to where they were outside the park, holding the hockey stick and shouting “who the f*** do you think you are, sleeping with my girlfriend?”

Knowing there had been bad blood between Jeffcoat and the chef, the latter’s friend moved behind the attacker in order to restrain him should he assault his pal.

Jeffcoat was said to have viewed this – incorrectly – as an attempt to attack him. He struck out with the stick, leaving the man with a gash in his head.

William Jeffcoat's custody shot Picture: WILTSHIRE POLICE

He then went for his rival, striking across the head and then hitting him again while he was on the floor. He stalked off, shouting that the man had ruined his life.

Police caught up with Jeffcoat a couple of hours later, when he told officers where they could find the stick.

The chef was left blinded in his left eye. The friend who had tried to come to his aid went to A&E at the Great Western Hospital the following morning, where his 10cm wound was glued.

Mitigation

Jeffocat, of Oxford Street, Aldbourne, had initially denied two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but changed his pleas on the day of his trial in October.

Defending, Nicholas Clough said his client was remorseful and the attack was extremely out of character.

Jeffcoat (left) outside Swindon Crown Court on Tuesday morning Picture: ADVER

The man had trained as a chef and worked at The Bell, in Michelin-starred restaurants in London and, briefly, in the north west of England but had returned south after a nervous breakdown. He had taken the breakdown of his relationship badly.

His client was a good man who had done bad things, Mr Clough said. He was “normally a law-abiding young man”.

Sentencing Jeffcoat, Judge Crabtree said of the attack on the supposed rival: “It is an offence that has caused injury that is unequivocally serous in the context of a section 18 (GBH) offence – lifelong.”

As a result of new sentencing rules introduced in April, Jeffcoat will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison before he is eligible for parole.