Victim Wants Her Council Worker Attacker Sacked

A grandmother left mentally and physically scarred after being glassed in the eye after a wedding has asked why her attacker is still employed by Swansea Council.

Pamela Kiley, aged 56, of Westlands, Port Talbot, requires plastic surgery and can barely close her left eye after the incident last September.

She is also too afraid to go out without her husband, and has only just resumed her job with Neath Port Talbot Council.

Meanwhile, her attacker has apparently continued to be employed at Swansea Council.

“I’m not a vindictive person, but I really don’t think she should be working for the council because of the violent nature of the attack,” said Mrs Kiley.

She was hit in the face with a glass that smashed on impact, causing cuts to her eyelid and nose, by Elize Morgan (pictured), a 27-year-old Swansea Council worker, from Afandale.

The two women had been among a number of guests at a wedding party in Pontardawe Arts Centre – and a coach had been arranged to take them back to Baglan.

Morgan took a glass of wine on board to drink – but ended up spilling some of it over Mrs Kiley in the seat in front of her.

Words were exchanged about who should pay for the cleaning bill – and the glass attack happened later as they prepared to get off the vehicle.

“I thought I was going to die,” said Mrs Kiley.

“If the glass had gone in a bit deeper, I would have lost my eye.”

Finance officer Morgan pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and was ordered to carry out 200 hours’ community service, and pay £800 in compensation at Swansea Crown Court. She was cleared of intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Mrs Kiley said she could not understand why Morgan had apparently not been disciplined by the council in light of the conviction.

She said: “I believe she has brought them into disrepute, shown no clear sign of regret, nor has she offered me an apology.

“Yet she can remember me screaming, ‘I’ve lost my eye’, and all the blood pouring out of it on the night of the attack.”

Mrs Kiley is now waiting to have plastic surgery.

“If I wear make up you can’t see the scars. I suffer constant discomfort and I have trouble closing my left eye,” she added.

Fighting back the tears, she said: “I missed out on precious times with my grand-daughter who was six weeks old at the time of the attack.

“My daughter lives in London and came back to Wales to give birth.

“Because of my scars, I didn’t feel able to have any pictures of me together with the baby.”

Mrs Kiley described the impact of the incident on her life since.

“I’m more nervous than I was before,” she said.

“I rarely go out unless I’m with my husband, and I’ve only recently started back at work.

“She’s (Elize Morgan) been working all the time and no amount of money can compensate for what I’ve been through.

“It’s made me think that if you see bad behaviour you’ve just got to ignore it, because if you stand up to it, you could become a victim of a violent attack.”

A Swansea Council spokesman refused to comment on whether any disciplinary action had, or would be taken, against Elize Morgan.

“The council cannot comment on this individual case,” he said.

“However, when it comes to the attention of the council that a member of staff has been convicted of a criminal offence, it is looked into as a matter of course.

“This process would need to consider, among other things, whether or not the nature of the offence affects the person’s continued suitability for their job.”