A MONMOUTH man was in court this week after being involved in an ‘ambush’ assault during a funeral wake.

Fabian Westbrook, 20, of Cinderhill Street, was one of two assailants who attacked Joshua Bamford and broke his jaw.

The attack reportedly took place after the victim all allegedly urinated in a friend’s drink on an earlier occasion.

The other attacker, Connor Baker, 22, of Sedbury, was the son of the woman whose funeral was being held that day, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Both men admitted unlawfully wounding Mr Bamford at the British Legion club in Sedbury on December 3 last year.

Their sentence of 16 months imprisonment each was suspended for two years and both have been ordered to do community service and attend rehabilitation programmes.

They were also each ordered to pay £150 compensation to Mr Bamford and prosecution costs of £100.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said that some weeks before the attack Westbrook, Baker and Mr Bamford were socialising together at an address in Sedbury.

While Westbrook was out of the room Mr Bamford was egged on by others to urinate in his bottle of Oasis drink.

Mr Kesner said: “Joshua Bamford went to the bathroom taking Mr Westbrook’s drink with him. When he returned it appeared he had urinated in it. In fact, he says, he did not do that - but to everyone else in the room it appeared he had.

The prosecution then discussed the events of the assault at the British Legion club following Baker’s mother’s funeral.

Mr Bamford was invited to the club by Westbrook as a friend, not knowing that he was going to be ambushed.

Both Westbrook, who is about to become a father, and Baker admitted to punching and kicking Mr Bamford while he was on the ground.

Upon visiting the hospital, it was revealed that Mr Bamford suffered a displaced fracture of the left angle of the mandible.

According to Mr Kesner, his client now speaks with a lisp, has difficulty eating and is scared to return to the Sedbury area.

Richard Twomlow, defending, said Baker was ‘shocked’ by his behaviour following the recent death of his mother.

“Clearly this was a day when emotions were running extremely high,” said Mr Twomlow. “He had been drinking and there was an element of cannabis taking.

“It was a bizarre and unusual day, a unique set of circumstances.”