Violent bike thief who bit cyclist’s nose in shocking “unprovoked” attack handed four-year sentence

A cyclist says he is still “in shock” six months on from a terrifying city centre robbery which saw a thief grab his bike and shout in his face, before biting his nose and unleashing a flurry of punches, forcing the injured victim to flee the scene.

28-year-old serial criminal Billy Hearn was sentenced to four years in prison last week – at least half of which he will spend on licence in the community – following what a judge described as a shocking, “unprovoked” attack in Swansea city centre in June, which has left the cyclist with a permanent scar on his nose.

Hearn’s accomplice, Nikita Davies, was handed a 17-month suspended sentence, after the judge said the attack had not only had a lasting impact on the victim, but of the wider public’s confidence in its safety in Swansea.

Swansea Crown Court heard that the robbery and assault took place at around 6.30pm on 22 June on Princess Way in Swansea city centre. The cyclist was riding towards Tesco when he was stopped by a group of people, including Hearn and Davies.

Princess Way, Swansea 

According to Wales Online, prosecutor Tom Scapens told the court that Hearn grabbed the passing cyclist’s handlebars, before leaning into his face and angrily shouting, “Do you know who the f*** I am?”

Davies then also took hold of the bike and, as the two thieves attempted to claw the bike from the cyclist’s grasp, Hearn threatened that he would “bite your f***ing nose off”.

The 28-year-old proceeded to clamp his teeth around the cyclist’s nose and bite down. After releasing his bite, he then threw a flurry of punches at the victim, who quickly fled the scene and reported the incident to the police.

The court heard the attack took place in front of several members of the public, including some teenagers who filmed the incident on their phones.

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Hearn and Davies were soon identified and arrested, with Hearn later becoming aggressive in his cell in Swansea Central police station, as he also threatened to bite the noses of officers attempting to deal with him.

In a victim impact statement read to Swansea Crown Court last week, the cyclist said he is still in shock over the attack and said he no longer feels safe cycling in Swansea city centre. He told the court that the scar on his nose is a daily reminder of the violent theft.

Hearn and Davies had both previously pleaded guilty to robbery when they appeared in the dock for sentencing. Davies’ guilty plea was made on the basis that she accepted she had grabbed the bicycle and pulled it, but had not threatened or used force against the victim.

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The court also heard that Hearn has an “extensive criminal history” which includes multiple convictions for carrying knives and weapons in Swansea city centre, and for inflicting grievous bodily harm, which saw him sentenced to 21 months in a young offenders’ institution in 2017.

In December 2022, he was jailed for four months for drug dealing after he was spotted openly counting packs of Valium and pregabalin tablets on a busy train.

Defending Hearn, Andrew Evans told the court that the 28-year-old had spent most of the last 10 years in prison or on remand, suffered from substance abuse issues, and had been left “homeless and directionless” by his mother’s death in April.

Evans said his client had written a “heartfelt” letter to the court outlining his feelings about his need to change his life.

Meanwhile, Alycia Carpanini, for Davies, detailed the mum-of-three’s struggles with depression and drugs, and claimed her client was willing to take advantage of whatever help probation could make available.

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Judge Catherine Richards told the defendants they had taken part in a “wholly unprovoked” street robbery on a passing cyclist, and that such offending not only has a direct impact on the victim but also affects the public’s confidence about their safety in Swansea city centre.

Richards added that Hearn’s bite on his victim’s face had brought with it the risk and fear of the transmission of diseases.

With a 20 per cent discount for his guilty plea, Hearn was sentenced to four years in prison. The 28-year-old will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence. With a 20 per cent discount for her guilty plea, Davies was also sentenced to 17 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to complete a rehabilitation course.