Lemmy Best jailed for four years for Milford pub violence

Lemmy Best, aged 27, claimed that the only explanation he could think of for the outburst was that someone had slipped cocaine into his drink.

Best, of Vicary Crescent, Milford, admitted eight offences, including affray, assault causing actual bodily harm and attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm.

Paul Hobson, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court how Best, a steel fabricator, had spent 12 hours drinking on March 19 this year, which ended with him watching Wales' grand slam match in the Haven hotel.

Without provocation Best erupted into 20 minutes of violence which a judge described as being like something out of the Wild West of America and not west Wales.

Amongst his victims were the 78 year-old landlady who told police it was the worst violence she had seen in 34 years of running the pub.

Best put her in a headlock after leaping behind the bar and attacking her.

Best also punched 56 year-old school cook Jackie Parsley, breaking her arm and causing a cut to her head, and John Reynolds, 57, who he threw off a bar stool dislocating his shoulder.

He went on to grab 22 year-old Jessica Summons, who he dragged around the bar while punching her and kicking her.

Best's barrister, James Hartson, told the court he was a talented musician and the violence was completely out of character.

He said Best had cocaine in his system as well as a large amount of alcohol but he was not a cocaine user and could only assume that someone spiked his drink.

Judge Paul Thomas told Best: "You went completely berserk for twenty minutes, rampaging like a thug and assaulting five people, some of them more than once.

"It is not known what sparked it, maybe someone did put cocaine in your drink, that can't be established one way or the other.

"The landlady says she had never seen anything like it and neither have I."

Judge Thomas said Best was a large, fit sportsman who had picked on men older than himself and women.