Darth Vader Uses Too Much Force
May 16, 2008[/align]
A man who dressed up as Darth Vader and attacked the founder of Britain's first Jedi church has been spared from going to jail. Arwel Wynne Hughes, 27, donned a black cape and bin bag and confronted Barney Jones with a metal crutch while Jones and his cousin Michael were filming themselves playing with light sabres. The duo attained a form of fame in North Wales after publicity about their church.
Hughes, who has a chronic alcohol problem, jumped over a garden wall in Holyhead and launched the assault on the Star Wars fans, bellowing "Darth Vader" as he hit Barney Jones over the head and punched his cousin in the thigh. Holyhead Magistrates sentenced Hughes to two months in jail, suspended for a year, after hearing that Hughes, of Holyhead, was drunk during the attack and did not know anything of it until the dark forces of the authorities called on him.
His solicitor told the court he was doing his best to win his battle with the bottle. Frances Jones, defending, said: "He is very sorry for coming before the courts. He knows his behaviour was wrong and didn't want it to happen but he has no recollection of it." Hughes, who has previous convictions for assault, pleaded guilty. He was ordered to pay £100 each to the victims.
District Judge Andrew Shaw said: "Perhaps the publicity from the last hearing has been a good thing for you, it was a wake-up call." Hughes had already made good progress according to his pre-sentencing report, the judge said.
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Black cape, a bin bag and a potentially bruised thigh? Those religious zealots will stop at nothing!
