An out-of-control man who head-butted a young mother as she intervened to stop him assaulting his girlfriend at a bus stop walked free from court yesterday.
Cake maker Laurie Malyon, 23, suffered a black eye and a broken nose when Dacian Martin attacked her when she tried to stop him kicking and spitting at his girlfriend.
She barged between the pair – but he then turned on her and warned her to "mind her own business".
But when Laurie refused to back down he head-butted her before running away.
Yesterday Martin, 27, smirked as he was handed a 24-month community order for the assault of Laurie and the common assault of his girlfriend, Sophie Edwards.
Sophie, 19, has now severed all ties with Martin, who was given a three-year restraining order to stay away from her.
Alan Dyer, chairman of the bench at North Somerset Magistrates' Court in Weston-super-Mare, said: "Common assault and assault by beating are serious enough to constitute a community order.
"If you break any of the requirements or commit any offence while under this order, we can increase your tariff and you may face further punishment."
Laurie, who attended the hearing to witness the fate of her attacker, said: "I just wanted measures put in place to make sure he can never again hurt Sophie.
"I'm not really concerned for myself, I just want to be sure that bully will never attack another woman."
Despite her horrific injuries, courageous Laurie says she will not hesitate to stand up to the victims of violence again. She said: "That day I just snapped when I saw him being so brutal and horrible to his girlfriend – nobody should treat a woman like that.
"The girl was crying her eyes out. He kept screaming obscenities at her, telling her she's worthless.
"There is absolutely no excuse for spitting in someone's face."
Martin, who had been remanded in custody since he was arrested on October 19, was ordered to pay £100 compensation to Laurie and £160 costs. The incident happened as 5ft 1in Laurie, who has a four-year-old daughter, was waiting to catch a bus to go shopping in her home town of Weston-super-Mare in October. Laurie saw Martin shouting at his girlfriend and pushing her to the ground.
Kevin Blackmore, prosecuting, read part of the statement Laurie gave to the police.
He read: "Mr Martin threatened to kill me and told Sophie how he would kill her later when she got home.
"He head-butted me hard on the bridge of my nose. My eyes were watering. I looked him straight in the eye and said 'you are a coward'."
Judith Mills, defending, told the court how recovering alcoholic Martin, who pleaded guilty to the two charges, had never dealt with his parents' death when he was 14 and blamed that for all his subsequent problems.
