Londoner jailed for inflicting life-changing injuries on bystander in Northampton pub brawl

A bystander who was victim of a brutal assault during a Northampton pub brawl involving pool cues and blades told a court how the attack “knocked him for six”.

Londoner Casey Edwards, aged 23, had just been released from prison on licence when he inflicted life-changing injuries on a man in his 50s who was attempting to stop the fight on a Friday night in The Sevens pub in Weedon Road in February this year.

Edwards punched the victim to the floor then stamped on him, causing permanent vision loss, a broken nose, cuts to his eye and fracture to his cheek. In a personal victim statement, he told Northampton Crown Court: “This attack has knocked me for six. I was just trying to help someone who was in trouble and I didn’t expect to end up being punched and stamped on.”

Edwards, from Croydon in South London, was arrested 11 days later and found to be in possession of a quantity of cash and drugs. He later assaulted police staff while in custody.

He pleaded guilty to malicious wounding, assaulting a police officer and three drugs offences and was sentenced to four years, 10 months on Tuesday (November 1). The new sentence will only start once the current one is up in June 2024.

Lead investigator, Detective Constable Mike Anslow, said after the hearing: “This was a really awful incident as the victim in this case was trying to calm a very tense and dangerous situation down when he was needlessly attacked by Edwards.

“I am pleased that this prison sentence has been handed out as it demonstrates the seriousness with which Northamptonshire Police take incidents of serious violence, which is one of our four matters of priority.

“I’d like to thank the victim in this case for his support throughout our investigation and I hope that the conclusion of this case provides him with a semblance of justice and hopefully the ability to move forward, aided by his strong support network.”