Organiser of Carnage pub crawl firm guilty of assault

Ryan Hilton, 23, of Filey in North Yorkshire, attacked 61-year-old Mark Roberts during a late night incident in Bangor, North Wales, on March 3 last year, a district judge at Llandudno Magistrates' Court ruled.

Mr Roberts, a commercial diver who lives in Bangor city centre and near several student venues, earlier told the trial he had simply wanted reassurance that he would get a good night's sleep.

But Hilton, a 6ft 4in nightclub bouncer, responded with a foul-mouthed outburst and punched the older man to the chin with such force he fell to the ground, banged his head and fell unconscious.

Carnage UK has drawn criticism over apparent excessive drinking by students taking part in the company's pub crawls across the country.

Last year, Sheffield student Philip Laing, 19, was convicted after being photographed urinating on a war memorial during a Carnage UK event.

District Judge Miriam Shelby was told about 1,000 students were taking part in the Bangor pub crawl, watched by 25 volunteer stewards

recruited from the local university population.

Following a Carnage night in the city the previous year, North Wales Police had concerns about the event taking place, the court was told.

Mr Roberts said he approached Hilton shortly before 11pm that night to ask what arrangements were being made to bring the event to a peaceful end but Hilton replied by telling him to "f*** off" then walked away.

He said: "I needed to get to bed. I needed a good night's sleep, hopefully unbroken by the night's event.

"I went out not to object to the event but to inquire what plans they had to bring it to a peaceful end.

"I honestly expected a reasonable response to my question.

"The gentleman I now know to be Ryan Hilton simply said 'f*** off' and the two of them walked away from me.

"I wasn't quite satisfied with that response so I walked behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"My only intention was to recover his attention. He swung round so fast and, with his right hand, he caught me on the chin."

Mr Roberts said as he fell backwards he heard the defendant say: "Get your f****** hands off me."

The witness added: "When I fell, I hit my head on the street and that's what knocked me out."

As he lay on the ground, Mr Roberts's partner of 10 years, Emma Swinson, 28, came to his aid and an ambulance and the police were called.

Mr Roberts's ordeal continued even inside the ambulance.

He told the court how a student wearing a Carnage T-shirt followed him and the paramedics to the vehicle and accused him of exaggerating his injuries to spoil their party.

Mr Roberts said the ambulance workers locked him inside the vehicle with them for their own protection when the unknown youth added: "I'll finish the job."

Hilton, from King Street, in Muston, Filey, denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He told Judge Shelby that Mr Roberts was drunk and aggressive and he was acting in self-defence when he "pushed" the resident away from him.

Mr Roberts, who had earlier that night attended Choral Evensong at Bangor Cathedral, admitted he had consumed a glass of port and a can of Carlsberg lager but insisted he was sober as he needed to get up for work at 5.30am the next day.

Judge Shelby returned a guilty verdict, saying: "I am satisfied that Mr Roberts is telling the truth about the attack upon him."

Hilton showed no emotion as the judge told him: "I reject your version of the events. I convict you of the assault. I find that you struck that blow to Mr Roberts' face and you left him with a permanent scar."

Hilton was bailed until April 29 when he will be sentenced at Mold Crown Court. The judge warned him he may face a jail sentence.