Fatal brawl 'worthy of wild west' Ian Wood Ian Wood died after severing an artery in his arm A 25-year-old man died after a brawl "more worthy of the wild west" which broke out after an argument with a pub singer, an inquest has heard.

Ian Wood, 25, from Hengoed, near Caerphilly, was injured during the incident at the Beech Pub in Ystrad Mynach last October.

He severed an artery as he reached through a smashed window to retrieve a car jack he had hurled.

A verdict of accidental death was recorded at Newport Coroners Court.

The coroner, David Bowen, told the inquest how CCTV footage of the brawl showed "unimaginable violence and brutality".

The CCTV shows him putting his arm through the window to retrieve the car jack, as he does a torrent of blood issues from his arm Coroner David Bowen

"It was more worthy of the wild west than of the village of Ystrad Mynach," he said.

The fight on 26 October last year involved men armed with pool cues and microphone stands which began after an argument with a pub singer.

Ten men joined the fight, after 30-year-old entertainer Robbie Blanchard and his brother Jamie, 27, were confronted in the car park of the Beech Tree.

During the sentencing of the men involved in the brawl, Newport Crown Court heard that Mr Wood and Craig Wangiel, 21, had been causing trouble in the pub during the evening.

After they left, the pair began arguing with the Blanchard brothers outside.

The confrontation became violent and Wangiel hit Robbie Blanchard with a plank of wood.

Car jack

Referring to CCTV footage of the brawl, the coroner told the inquest: "It shows Mr Wood throwing a car jack through the window of the pub which shattered as a result.

"The CCTV shows him putting his arm through the window to retrieve the car jack, as he does a torrent of blood issues from his arm.

"Mr Wood is clearly aware of the injury and tries to stop the flow but he doesn't recognise the severity of it."

The inquest heard how Mr Wood then drove away from the scene with two others in the car.

He was the author of his own tragic misfortune which he neither foresaw nor intended Coroner David Bowen

Gwent Police officers came across his stationary vehicle 900 yards away but as they approached the occupants, they were attacked.

After the violence subsided, police discovered Mr Wood collapsed on the driver's seat behind the wheel of the car.

He was taken to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil but later died.

The cause of death was a severed artery in his left arm.

The coroner heard how Mr Wood had given up work at the age of 23 because of an increasingly disability on his foot following a 60ft fall as a teenager. He was facing the possibility of losing his foot if planned surgery did not work.

He had become bored and got involved with the "wrong crowd" although was "beginning to settle down", the inquest heard.

The coroner said he was satisfied that no-one else was involved in the cause of the injury to Mr Wood's arm.

"He was the author of his own tragic misfortune which he neither foresaw nor intended," he said.

# Eight men received custodia

Submitted on 07/01/2005

Submitted by: Far Canal
Reference: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Copyright © 2005 DarwinAwards.com

Jack said:
Neutral: For Darwin's Eyes
More information, but I still don't think that it's DA quality.

Kelly said:
Neutral: For Darwin's Eyes
I think it's DA quality. What sane person thinks that it's a good idea to reach through a shattered glass window with an unprotected body part?

Charles said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
While I didn't see the original, I'll accept that the other moderators did...

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