Ed Sheeran fan Jonathan Hayden launched Newport hotel attack

Jonathan Hayden and his victim travelled to the city from Coventry on May 27 to stay at the Mercure Hotel and watch the singer perform in Cardiff.

During their journey, he sank six Guinnesses and began verbally abusing his victim, who was not drinking, by swearing at her and calling her a “tramp”.

The pair visited a pub in Newport before going to the city-centre hotel and getting changed.

They took a taxi to the capital, but when Hayden, 39, resumed his verbal attacks on her during the journey, she “had enough” and got out in Pontcanna.

Father-of-14 Hayden “jumped out” after her and continued his volley of abuse “in front of a crowd of people”, Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday.

Construction worker Hayden then “wrapped his arm around the victim’s neck and threw her to the floor”.

The police were called and officers stopped the defendant, who told them he had been “simply hugging the victim”, Mr Gobir told the court.

Hayden and his victim went to a pub near the Principality Stadium, and then went into the venue to watch Sheeran play.

Once inside, the defendant “told the victim he was going for a drink, and did not return”, the court heard.

His victim later found out Hayden had left the venue.

She returned to their hotel in Newport and found him “half asleep” on the bed.

When she asked him why he had left her, Hayden told her to “shut up” and launched his “prolonged” assault, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her up against the wall with one hand.

The court heard how she was “struggling to breathe”, and then Hayden punched her twice in the face while continuing to insult her.

She fell to the bed, and then onto the floor, where he strangled her again as she “shouted for help”.

Hayden slapped her face, and when she tried to escape the hotel room, he “shoved her into the bathroom [where] she hit the back of her head on the toilet”, Mr Gobir said.

The hotel staff were alerted to the “commotion” and went to the room, and as Hayden opened the door his victim managed to flee.

The court heard how she suffered “bruising and swelling” to her left eye, bruising to her arm and behind her ear, scratch marks on her faces, swelling to her lip, and had her hair extensions “pulled from her hair”.

There was also “blood spatter around the room” following the attack.

Mr Gobir said Hayden was arrested and at police interview “denied any assault”.

The defendant later admitted one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one of criminal damage, and one of assault by beating at Gwent Magistrates’ Court.

In a statement, Hayden’s victim said she had been “struggling with anxiety” since the attack and was “unable to eat properly” due to her injuries.

“When the incident first happened and I looked at myself in the mirror, I was so embarrassed about what I could see,” she said.

“I was scared of going home and my children seeing my face – however, I had no choice as I am their mum.

“I had to lie to my children about how it happened.”

The court heard Hayden, of Henson Road, Bedworth, Warwickshire, has convictions for 42 previous offences, including eight offences of violence.

Darren Bishop, defending, asked the judge to take into account Hayden’s early guilty pleas – which was entered on the day his trial was due to begin – and said his client had “taken voluntary steps” while in custody to address his behaviour, including completing a “drink awareness course”.

Judge Hale told Hayden the victim had been “looking forward” to their trip but “you just seemed to think it was an excuse to get drunk”.

He had been “warned” by police in Cardiff but “didn’t learn from that” and “got more drunk [and] abandoned her”.

“You then attacked her when she complained about that,” the judge told Hayden.

He jailed Hayden for a total 27 months and made him the subject of a 10-year restraining order to not contact his victim.