A judge was clear the defendant poses a risk to staff and customers
09:33, 18 Jan 2026Updated 11:51, 18 Jan 2026
Julio Waters was jailed and banned from every pub and bar in Wales(Image: South Wales Police)
A man has been banned from entering any pub in Wales following his most recent violent episode in a licensed establishment.
Julio Waters, along with his father Wayne, assaulted a staff member at a bar, leaving the victim severely beaten and facing substantial dental costs. The attack occurred after Waters Jnr was asked to leave the venue due to a prior incident where he headbutted a customer and was subsequently banned.
Swansea Crown Court heard that 39-year-old Waters had an extensive history of violence in pubs across Neath and Swansea and had previously been barred from all licensed premises in Neath Port Talbot.
The judge, while sentencing the defendant for his latest assault, said Waters clearly presents a risk to both staff and patrons in bars. By banning him from all licensed premises in Wales, the judge expressed hope that he wasn’t merely shifting the problem to England.
Prosecutor Dean Pulling informed the court the initial assault took place in August 2024 outside the Ambassador Hotel in Neath town centre. He explained that the victim was part of a group of customers socialising and smoking outside the bar when Julio Waters approached him without warning and headbutted and punched him in the face for no discernible reason
Waters then left the scene, reports Wales Online. The assault was seen by a staff member who immediately rang for an ambulance and remained with the injured man until paramedics arrived. Whilst waiting, a female acquaintance of Waters approached the employee and passed him a mobile phone.
Waters was on the other end and instructed the staff member to “get rid of the cameras” in an apparent reference to any CCTV footage. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
Prosecutors said officers examined footage from the Ambassador and identified Waters as the attacker, leading management to ban him from the venue. On October 24, the defendant was questioned but responded “no comment” to every enquiry before being released pending further investigation.
On May 23 last year, Waters returned to the Ambassador where security staff informed him he was barred from the premises. Waters initially challenged the ban, then said he wished to inform his companion and was permitted to enter the bar’s pool room.
Shortly afterwards, Julio Waters’ 66-year-old father Wayne emerged from the pool room and confronted the doorman, threatening to “smash his face in” before headbutting him. The pair then launched a “barrage of blows” against the bouncer, with Julio Waters alone landing 12 punches on the victim.
The prosecutor told the court that both customers and staff attempted to step in, but were forced back by the defendants’ violent behaviour until bar-goers, “at no small risk to themselves”, succeeded in halting the attack. The pair then fled the premises.
The court was informed that father and son were questioned on July 11, with both responding “no comment” throughout their interviews. Charges were later brought against them by postal requisition.
Julio Waters, from Bevan Avenue, Cadoxton, Neath, had already admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) before appearing for sentencing. His criminal record includes 26 previous offences, amongst them multiple violent incidents in licensed premises.
The court was informed that he had a history of convictions dating back to 2009, when he was found guilty of ABH for assaulting a man at Neath Workingmen’s Club. In 2014, he and his father were convicted for threatening behaviour at the Ambassador Hotel.
He was again convicted in 2016 for common assault after punching a man in Neath’s David Prothero pub from which he had been banned. In 2019, he was found guilty of common assault for attacking a staff member at Neath’s Big Cam pub, where he was also banned.
In 2021, he was convicted of ABH for a “sustained attack” on a man in Merlin’s pub in Neath, which involved him “spear tackling” his victim to the ground and repeatedly punching him in the face, resulting in a fractured nose, cheek, and eye socket. In 2024, he was convicted of battery after assaulting a man following his removal from a bar on Swansea’s Wind Street.
The court also heard about his conviction for affray in 2016, which involved headbutting a man on a train between Swansea and Neath.
Wayne Waters, from Priory Close, Bryncoch, Neath, had previously admitted to ABH when he appeared in court with his son. His criminal record includes 15 offences, including an ABH from 1977 and the threatening behaviour he committed with his son in 2014.
David Singh, representing Julio Waters, told the court his client was taking measures to tackle his alcohol dependency, including regular attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He highlighted that Waters is father to a 12-year-old daughter and takes his parental duties towards her with great seriousness.
Dan Williams, representing Wayne Waters, explained that the former scaffolder suffered from “significant mental and physical health issues” and felt remorse for his role in the Ambassador incident, which occurred after his ex-wife — who had been caring for him — travelled to Spain, leaving him and his son in Neath.
Judge Paul Thomas KC informed Julio Waters that he clearly presented a risk to patrons and employees of licensed establishments, adding that even if the sentence warranted suspension, he would not grant it. After applying one-third reductions for guilty pleas, Waters received a 27-month prison term.
He will spend up to half that period behind bars before release on licence for the remaining duration in the community. Waters was also subject to an exclusion order prohibiting him from entering any licensed premises in Wales for two years.
When imposing the order, the judge expressed his hope that he wasn’t merely transferring the problem to England. Addressing Wayne Waters, the judge said he ought to consider what kind of example he had set for his son and should feel a “great deal of shame and responsibility” for how his child had developed.
After receiving a one-third reduction for pleading guilty, Wayne Walters was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was required to undertake a rehabilitation programme and pay £1,000 compensation to the Ambassador staff member.
The judge warned him he was fortunate not to be joining his son behind bars. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Find crime figures for your area