Bully with steel toe-cap boots put colleague in coma in unprovoked attack

A workplace bully assaulted a colleague, kicking him in the chin and neck - leaving him in a coma. The victim will have to take medication for the rest of his life.

Nicholas Walsh, 54, unleashed the unprovoked assault Shaun Davies at Pritchard's in Llantrisant, Wales, on September 17 last year. The defendant was said to have carried out "protracted bullying" towards the victim which a judge described as going further than "workplace horseplay".

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the incident began with the defendant grabbing Mr Davies' penis and testicles and making a sexualised comment towards him.

Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: "That hadn't been the first time you had behaved like that towards him. In previous incidents it had been brushed off or ignored by Mr Davies but on that particular day he had tired of your behaviour towards him, he stood up to you and told you to f*** off."

In response to this, Walsh pushed Mr Davies away and returned to his work station, a cage where he would operate large machinery. Later that day, the victim attempted to make peace with the defendant and was seen on CCTV walking towards his work station, Wales Online reports.

But upon seeing Mr Davies walking towards him, Walsh responded by standing up and from a greater height than the victim he kicked him to the chin and neck forcefully with his steel toe-capped boots. He then jumped from the cab on top of Mr Davies and continued to punch him until he was pulled off by co-workers.

Mr Davies felt instant pain and felt difficulty breathing following the assault. He was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery and was in a coma for three days. The defendant was interviewed and lied by claiming he was the