[Extracts]

2) The facts are taken from my report to the Home Secretary. The deceased, Melvin Ashton Jones, was 43 years of age when he was killed by the defendant. He had a reputation as a violent and dangerous man. He had many convictions for violence. He had been sentenced in 1988 to 14 years imprisonment for a particularly violent rape and served 10 years, being released on 24th July, 1998. The defendant and the deceased had known each other for some years and from time to time drank together. On Saturday 29th January 2000 at about 11.15 p.m. the defendant for no apparent reason attacked the deceased in Dukes' Nightclub in Tonypandy. The deceased was sitting down. The defendant approached him and without warning punched him hard to the face knocking the deceased unconscious. The defendant then left the nightclub and waited outside with two of his friends. Not long before 11.30 p.m. the deceased also left the nightclub. When he got outside into the street, he was attacked again by the defendant. The defendant punched the deceased to the ground and then punched and kicked him when he was defenceless (and probably unconscious) on the ground. The deceased sustained injuries to his face: on both sides of the face, there was disruption of the jaw plus fractures of both cheekbones and of both eye sockets. Those fractures allowed bleeding into the sinuses, death probably resulting from an obstruction to the airways. Although it was obvious that the deceased was seriously injured, the defendant and his friends simply left the scene doing nothing to help the deceased. Both the defendant and the deceased had had a considerable quantity to drink, the defendant also having taken an ecstasy tablet.

7) Accordingly, I set the minimum term that the defendant must serve before the Parole Board can consider his release on licence as one of 14 years. That minimum term is the minimum amount of time the defendant will spend in prison, from the date of sentence, before the Parole Board can order early release. If it remains necessary for the protection of the public, the defendant will continue to be detained after that date. Where the defendant has served the minimum term and the Parole Board has decided to direct release, the defendant will remain on licence for the rest of his life and may be recalled to prison at any time. [hmcourts-service.gov.uk]