A judge has today (Monday) criticised licensees in Pembrokeshire who serve alcohol to people who are already drunk.

Judge Peter Heywood made his comments as he jailed a Milford man for three years.

There was a time, said Judge Heywood, when licensees would tell a customer “you’ve had enough, on your way home.”

Now, too many were willing to serve anyone at any time of day or night never mind what condition they were in because they “just wanted to clock up the money.”

The criticism came after Swansea crown court heard that Tristan McSparron, 19, could not even remember being inside El Rio nightclub in Haverfordwest let alone attacking Joe Moncrieff

But the attack was caught on a CCTV camera and McSparron, of St Davids Road, admitted wounding Mr Moncrieff on March 6 with intent.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said the footage showed McSparron grabbing Mr Moncrieff by the neck and banging his head against a stone wall five times until he was unconscious.

Then he punched him several times to his head.

McSparron left the club but a doorman and police officers found him in Castle Square and he was arrested.

Mr Moncrieff, an RAF serviceman based at RAF Cosford, was taken to Withybush hospital where doctors inserted nine stitches into head wounds.

McSparron’s barrister, John Hipkin, said it was a great shame to see him before the court. He had no previous convictions and had an excellent work record.

He said Mr Moncrieff had been a complete stranger to McSparron, who could not explain why he had attacked him.

Judge Heywood said it was “hugely disappointing” to have to sentence a young man for a “moment of madness.”

McSparron, he said, had drunk so much alcohol that he lost all self control.

How many times, he asked, do the courts have to deal with people who drank so much that all sense of responsibility just evaporated.

Judge Heywood said he had to impose an immediate jail sentence partly to deter others from behaving like McSparron did when they went out drinking.