Young men sentenced for breaking man’s jaw in “nasty” attack

Friday 19 November 2021

Two young men have been sentenced for a “nasty episode of street violence without justification”, which left a man with a “badly fractured jaw” that hasn’t properly healed eight months after the drunken attack.

Appearing before the Royal Court on Friday, Tyler Colin Ahier (19) was handed 18 months' imprisonment, while Brandon Ryan Guillemot (18) got 210 hours' community service for the grave and criminal assault on 3 April.

Both men and the 27-year-old victim attended the same party at a flat in Hope Street, where people “were intoxicated to one degree or another”. After a bust-up, the victim was asked to leave, and CCTV shows he was followed out by four or five people. 

About 10 minutes later the victim went back into the flat and shortly after, Ahier was seen on CCTV “limbering up by swinging his arms, and throwing punches into the air” as he appeared to wait by the doorway.

Within 10 seconds of the victim leaving the flat again, he was struck from behind by Ahier, “hard enough to knock him to the ground”. As the victim sat up, Ahier came back towards him in an aggressive manner. Whilst the man was facing Ahier, Guillemot took a short run up and kicked him in the face, causing him to fall on his back. Guillemot immediately ran off while Ahier walked back up and punched the victim to the shoulder or neck. 

Pictured: The victim collapsed on Bond Street.

The group left and the victim got up and walked unsteadily before collapsing on Bond Street. After police arrived, he was taken to hospital with a “badly fractured jaw”.

Ahier told officers the victim was “trying to aggravate someone by the way he was acting”. After seeing the CCTV of the victim being kicked in the face, he said “that’s f*** out of order” and that it made him feel “disgusted”.

Guillemot initially claimed he had not been in town the night of the incident but later confirmed he had kicked the man due to “his actions inside the flat”. He conceded it was “probably a bit too much” but that “he deserved it”.

Both men admitted the assault during their first appearance in Magistrate’s Court.

Crown Advocate Richard Pedley described the incident as “a nasty episode of street violence without justification” and recommended a 18-month prison sentence for Ahier due to his record and his failure to comply with a community service order imposed for motoring offences in May 2021.

He recommended a community service order and a 12-month exclusion order for Guillemot in light of his “good character”.

Pictured: Advocate Sarah Dale was representing Ahier.

Advocate Sarah Dale urged the Court to give Ahier “one final chance to prove himself to this court and the community” as he wanted the opportunity to prove he could comply with probation and community service orders.

She said his time in custody had been “salutary and necessary”. “He doesn’t think it’s an exaggeration to say it’s saved his life,” she said. “For the first time in his life he is seeking help for his mental health, he didn’t appreciate how much help he needed.”

The lawyer said Ahier had felt “a sense of protection” to the young girls he thought the victim had pushed. As a brother to a number of younger children, she said he wouldn’t want his own sisters to be treated this way, but recognised no one should be treated the way the victim had been either. 

She said Ahier, who wrote a letter to the court and the victim, deeply regretted his “unacceptable behaviour” on the night and had read with “considerable sadness” how his actions had affected the victim. 

Pictured: Advocate Martin Elks was defending Guillemot.

Defending Guillemot, Advocate Martin Elks acknowledged the CCTV of the incident was “compelling” and made for “uncomfortable viewing”. 

He said his client felt his contribution to society could be “increased significantly” if he remained free and was allowed to complete his community service and electrician apprenticeship.

He said Guillemot’s had a promising future ahead of him, which included a career, a “very supportive family” and a girlfriend.

He urged to Court to reduce the conclusion of the Crown arguing that the community service order would impact Guillemot’s “liberty” as well as his studies.

He also opposed the exclusion order as Guillemot would want to be able to go to restaurants with his girlfriend and family. He instead suggested the Court should make it clear that if Guillemot appeared before Court again, he would receive the maximum order possible.

Pictured: The Deputy Bailiff said both men could have been sent to prison for 15 months. 

Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae, who heard the case with Jurats Jerry Ramsden and Andrew Cornish, described the incident as “appalling violence”. 

“It was unacceptable and inexcusable,” he added. “You left a young man with injuries he has yet to recover from.”

He noted the victim would need further surgery as his jaw and teeth were not aligned, that he couldn’t jog since the incident and that he was now reluctant to leave his home, except to go to work.

He said the Court believed it was appropriate to impose a prison sentence in the case. He said that while they had decided to sentence Ahier to 18 months in prison, Guillemot could have been sentenced to 15 months and had “very narrowly avoided that fate”. Instead, the Deputy Bailiff said he would be sentenced to 210 hours of community service and ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation to the victim.

He told Guillemot: “You must understand you have been given a chance by the Court. If you fail to comply with the orders, you will be brought to this court and will certainly be subject to a custodial sentence.”

Both Ahier and Guillemot have been excluded from licensed premises for a year, with Ahier’s order starting upon his release.