'Christmas will never be the same': Llanelli widow backs campaign against alcohol-related violence

A widow is supporting a police campaign against alcohol-related violence after her husband was killed in an unprovoked attack on a Llanelli night out.

Christine Edwards' husband, Vaughan Edwards, died in January from a single punch after an assault on 23rd December. The couple were out on their work Christmas party.

A 37-year old man was jailed for five years and three months for manslaughter.

Mrs Edwards is speaking publicly about the incident for the first time as Dyfed Powys Police launches its 'Just Walk Away' campaign in the lead up to Christmas.

It aims to raise awareness of the rising number of alcohol-related assaults, with 130 people across the police force's area whose Christmas drinks led to a serious assault last year.

The campaign highlights the personal cost of violent behaviour to victims, families, and offenders themselves. Credit: Dyfed Powys Police

Mrs Edwards said Christmas is a difficult reminder of what happened.

Mr Edwards died at the University Hospital of Wales 25 days after the assault.

On the night of the incident, Mrs Edwards saw her husband fall to the ground and feared the worst.

"He went down and he wasn’t getting up. I told my daughter Emma‘he’s gone’ – I just knew it. He was a 6ft tall, strong man, and he was just lying there.

"They were doing CPR on him, and he was taken to Morriston Hospital. In the ambulance he was responding, so we thought he might be ok, but then they told us they were blue lighting him to the Heath in Cardiff.”

Mr Edwards died in hospital 25 days later.

Every year the festive period sees a dramatic rise in alcohol-related violence, according to Dyfed Powys Police.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Phil Rowe said: "With more people out enjoying the festive season in December and January, we see a dramatic rise in assaults at this time of year.

"This is not something we believe is unique to Dyfed-Powys, but it is something we are working very hard to combat."

Since 2015, Dyfed-Powys Police has recorded a yearly-average of 87 alcohol-related serious assaults over the three-week peak Christmas and New Year season.

The police force is urging Christmas revellers to think before they act on a night out.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Phil Rowe said: “The consequence of assaulting someone is life-changing.

"Could you live with going to prison, spending Christmas in custody, and the emotional weight of knowing your actions seriously injured or even killed someone?

“If you get into a confrontational situation on a night out, please be the bigger person and just walk away."