There were tears in the dock and sighs of relief from the public gallery at Haverfordwest magistrates court last week after an "inspirational" youth sports leader, who fractured an opponent’s jaw in the final minutes of a rugby match, was cleared of GBH.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Active Young People Sports Officer, Wyndam Christopher Williams, of Coxhill Narberth, denied wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.

Haverfordwest magistrates heard that the alleged assault took place just before the final whistle in a match between Tenby and Dunvant on October 24, 2015.

Dunvant player Dafydd Rhys Tucker, suffered a broken jaw in the incident and required surgery at Morriston hospital the following day.

Magistrates heard that minutes before the incident Mr Tucker had been involved in a high tackle and the referee had blown the whistle. Mr Tucker hadn't heard it and played on.

As he stooped to pick up the ball he was spun round by Mr Williams, 35, who then delivered a blow to his face, breaking his jaw in two places.

Mr Williams, who is also an SIA registered doorman, maintained that he was acting in self-defence and that he thought Mr Tucker was going to hit him. He said he raised his left arm to block the punch and then "instantaneously" hit out with his right hand.

He said he was looking away from the Dunvant player and moving back from him.

“I thought he was coming to attack me with his left hand,” said Mr Williams. “I felt threatened he was going to hit me. I went back, I threw my right hand out. I instinctively just reacted.”

This version of events was contested by Vaughn Pritchard -Jones, prosecuting: “He was the aggressor,” he said of Mr Williams.

“He threw a left followed by a right, the right straight into the man’s face causing serious injuries…People do act out of character on occasion; this was one of those occasions.”

Christopher Clee QC, defending said that Mr Williams had never been in trouble with the police and that, in his 25-year rugby career, had only ever had two yellow cards, both for being offside.

He also read out 16 character references from school headteachers, county councillors and colleagues attesting to Mr Williams’ “honest” and “inspirational” qualities.

After a two day trial and a private session, during which they re-viewed CCTV footage of the game several times, magistrates cleared Mr Williams.

“The verdict is that you did believe that you were going to be attacked by Mr Tucker and acted in self-defence,” said the presiding magistrate.

“We find that the punch was an instinctive reaction carried out in the heat of the game. We find that the force used was reasonable and you are not guilty of the offence.”