Harvey Rouen attended a baby shower with his girlfriend at a pub in Bodmin, but his behaviour turned violent during the event, leading to an affray and him pulling a knife on a guest’s father
A baby shower turned sour when a furious young man attacked a woman and brandished a knife at attendees. Harvey Rouen attended a baby shower with his girlfriend at a pub in Bodmin on 30 August last year, which should have been a joyous occasion.
However, as the day progressed, his behaviour began to alter, and during a ‘play-fight’ with one of the women present, he suddenly became aggressive and violent. At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court on Friday (5 June), it was revealed that Rouen, 22, from Saltash, Plymouth, started yelling at one of the women before repeatedly punching and kicking her.
Following the initial assault, Rouen pursued two women who had escaped to another bar in town, where he continued his violent outburst. Footage recorded by an attendee and shown in court depicted Rouen kicking one of the women in the stomach, then repeatedly punching another woman at the entrance as he tried to force his way in, according to Plymouth Live.
In a further escalation, when the woman’s father arrived and tried to calm the situation, Rouen drew a knife from his pocket and threatened him with it.
Rouen was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of affray and another charge of possession of a knife in a public place. He pleaded guilty to both charges at the earliest opportunity when he appeared before magistrates’ court.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman who was attacked said the ordeal had left her shaken and terrified that Rouen would stab her father, adding that she had been left feeling “on edge” all the time.
Harriet Summerhayes, defending Rouen, told the court he has no prior convictions and fully accepts “the unpleasant nature of his offending and how terrifying it would have been for people that day”.
She portrayed Rouen as a young man with genuine prospects for rehabilitation, noting that the incident last summer was entirely out of character.
“It has been a very difficult experience for him and he doesn’t want to find himself in this position again,” Ms Summerhayes said.
“His childhood was filled with things no-one should have to experience and this has had an impact on his behaviour.”
Ms Summerhayes told the court Rouen has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but nevertheless holds down a job, has stable accommodation and is hoping to set up his own landscaping business.
“Prison would unsettle his life,” she added. “He would lose his job, his accommodation. He wishes he could go back in time and change what happened.”
His Honour Recorder Charles Murray told Rouen his actions had spoilt the day for everyone, and that what should have been a joyous occasion will now be remembered for all the wrong reasons. “It was ruined by you,” he told Rouen. “It must have been a terrifying thing for the people to go through. There were other people in the street too. You were very angry on that occasion which you shouldn’t have been.
“There were plenty of opportunities for you to remove yourself from the scene. But you didn’t and it escalated.”
Recorder Murray imposed a 12 month prison sentence on Rouen, suspended for 18 months, alongside 10 rehabilitation days, mental health requirement activities and 100 hours of unpaid work.