Julio Waters and his father Wayne attacked a member of staff at the Ambassador Hotel in Neath. Waters was sentenced to 27 months in prison and given a two-year ban from all licensed premises in Wales
A man has been slapped with a ban from every pub in Wales following his latest violent episode.
Julio Waters, along with his father Wayne, assaulted a bar staff member in Neath, leaving the victim battered, bruised and facing hefty dental bills. The attack occurred after Waters Jnr was asked to leave the pub due to a prior incident where he headbutted a customer and was subsequently banned.
Swansea Crown Court heard that 39 year old Waters has a notorious history of violence in pubs across Neath and Swansea, and had previously been barred from all licensed premises in Neath Port Talbot.
The judge, while sentencing Waters for his most recent assault, stated that he clearly poses a threat to both staff and patrons in bars. In banning him from all licensed premises in Wales, the judge expressed hope that he wasn’t merely shifting the problem over to England.
Prosecutor Dean Pulling informed the court that the initial assault took place in August 2024 outside the Ambassador Hotel in Neath town centre. He detailed how the victim, part of a group socialising outside the bar, was approached by Julio Waters who, without warning or apparent reason, headbutted and punched him in the face before casually walking away, reports Wales Online.
The court was told a staff member witnessed the attack and immediately called for an ambulance, staying with the injured man until paramedics arrived. Whilst waiting, he was approached by a female associate of Waters who handed him a mobile phone.
Waters was on the other end and instructed the staff member to “get rid of the cameras” in an apparent reference to any CCTV footage.
The prosecutor explained that officers examined footage from the Ambassador and identified Waters as the attacker, leading management to ban him from the venue. When questioned on October 24, the defendant responded “no comment” to every question before being released pending further investigation.
The court was told that on May 23 last year, Waters returned to the Ambassador where he was confronted by a security guard who informed him he was barred from the premises. Waters initially challenged the ban before saying he needed to inform his companion, and was permitted to enter the bar’s pool room.
Shortly afterwards, Julio Waters’ 66 year old father Wayne emerged from the pool room and confronted the doorman, threatening to “smash his face in” before headbutting him. The pair then launched a “barrage of blows” against the bouncer, with Julio Waters alone landing 12 punches on the victim.
The prosecutor revealed that patrons and staff attempted to step in but were forced back by the defendants’ violent behaviour until people in the bar managed to halt the attack “at no small risk to themselves”. The pair then fled the premises.
The court was told that father and son were questioned on July 11, with both responding “no comment” to all queries during their interviews. They were later charged by postal requisition.
Julio Waters, from Bevan Avenue, Cadoxton, Neath, had already admitted to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) when he stood in the dock for sentencing. His criminal record includes 26 previous offences, amongst them multiple violent incidents in licensed premises.
Wayne Waters, from Priory Close, Bryncoch, Neath, had previously admitted to ABH when he appeared in court with his son. He has a history of 15 offences, including an ABH from 1977 and the threatening behaviour he committed with his son in 2014.
David Singh, representing Julio Waters, stated that his client was taking measures to tackle his alcohol problems, including attending Alcoholics Anonymous. He emphasised that his client, who has a 12 year old daughter, takes his parental duties seriously.
Dan Williams, acting for Wayne Waters, explained that the retired scaffolder had “significant mental and physical health issues” and regretted his involvement in the incident at the Ambassador, which occurred after his ex-wife, who served as his carer, had travelled to Spain, leaving him and his son in Neath.
Judge Paul Thomas KC informed Julio Waters that he evidently poses a danger to customers and staff in licensed premises and declared that even if the sentence he was about to hand down was of a length he could suspend, he would not do so. With one-third reductions for his guilty pleas, Waters was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant was also subjected to an exclusion order banning him from all licensed premises in Wales for two years.
In issuing the order, the judge expressed his hope that he wasn’t merely shifting the problem onto England.
Speaking to Wayne Walters, the judge advised him to contemplate the example he had set for his son and to feel a “great deal of shame and responsibility” for his child’s behaviour. With a one-third reduction for his guilty plea, Wayne Walters received a 12-month suspended prison sentence and was instructed to complete a rehabilitation course and pay £1,000 in compensation to an Ambassador staff member.
The judge informed him that he was fortunate not to be joining his son in custody.
