Masseuse forced to fight for her life after being attacked with hammer by client
'I genuinely believed he was going to kill me and feared for my life for the duration of the time I was in that room'
Connor Probert, 26, hit a masseuse over the head several times in a random attack which left her thinking she was going to die
(Image: South Wales Police )
A masseuse thought she was going to be killed when a client pulled a hammer out of his bag and hit her over the head several times. She fought for her life as her attacker swung the weapon at her and she bled heavily from her head and fell in and out of consciousness.
Connor Probert, 26, booked a massage at the Royal Orchid Thai Massage in Cardiff on February 17 last year, and arrived with a hammer concealed in his backpack.
The masseuse, Orawan Thomas, was at the parlour on her own when she was viciously assaulted by her client without warning.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the massage itself passed without incident, but when Ms Thomas turned her back the defendant grabbed her from behind and she felt a blow to her head. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
She turned to look at Probert and saw he was holding a hammer in one hand, raised at shoulder level as if he was ready to strike again.
He continued to strike out at Ms Thomas and she thought she was going to be killed. Before she could do anything, Probert hit her to the head again as she struggled and attempted to scream.
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Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said Ms Thomas managed to grab the hammer out of the defendant's grasp and hit him but he grabbed her wrist.
They struggled over the hammer as the victim continued to scream but the defendant grabbed her by the neck as blood poured from her head.
Both of them slipped and fell but Probert continued to grip Ms Thomas's throat and pressed her to the floor so she couldn't breathe. He then put his fingers on the centre of her throat, and Ms Thomas once more believed he was going to kill her.
She described everything going black and thought she was dead. Ms Thomas managed to turn her face and began to breathe, but such was the force of the strangulation she could see dots in her vision.
The victim managed to get to her feet, with Probert's hands still around her neck, and asked him if she could have a drink of water. The defendant stated he had Coke or Pepsi in his bag and took his hands off of her neck to get the bottle, but continued to hold onto the hammer.
Ms Thomas said the defendant had calmed down and after taking a sip, she offered him a drink in order to show friendliness.
There was a knock at the door, with Ms Thomas's son and her daughter-in-law arriving. She asked Probert if she could answer it but he wouldn't let her.
The two then continued to struggle with the hammer, before Ms Thomas ran to the front door to let her son and daughter-in-law in, as the defendant hid in a bathroom.
She told her son Probert had tried to kill her and he grabbed a plant pot before confronting the defendant as Ms Thomas escaped from the parlour.
The police were called and the defendant remained in the bathroom until they arrived and he was arrested.
Ms Thomas was taken to the University Hospital of Wales and was visibly shaking for a long time. She received treatment for three wounds, including one to the top of her head, one to the right side of her head, and one to the external part of her ear, which required stitches. There were also soft tissue injuries to her neck and hands.
Probert, of Vicarage Road, Penygraig, Tonypandy, pleaded guilty to wounding and inflicting grievous bodily harm, intentional strangulation, and possession of an offensive weapon. He is of previous good character.
When asked why he carried out the attack against Ms Thomas, the defendant said he couldn't explain why he did what he did and was shocked by his own actions.
In a victim personal statement read to the court by Mr Stanway, Ms Thomas said: "This incident has had a serious effect on my mental and physical health. It's also affected the social and economic aspects of my life.
"I have struggled to return to my business and keep it running the way it did before. I had no choice but to go back to work which was extremely hard for me as it's where the incident took place and I don't feel safe in this space anymore. I am unable to take new male clients as I don't know what they are capable of and now I only see female clients and male clients I know and trust...
"I have issues with my shoulders and ribs which affects my ability to give deep tissue massages and I have lost income. My physical health is not what it used to be. I have also been struggling to get comfortable in bed and I'm having issues with my sleep.
"I suffer with post polio syndrome and being hit with a hammer has made it worse. I find it hard to communicate with people more so now as my words become jumbled and things become blurred which I believe is as a result of being hit three times to the head. My mental health is at a very low point as a result of this incident.
"I genuinely believed he was going to kill me and feared for my life for the duration of the time I was in that room... I am scared to go out alone and being alone in general.
"The anxiety this has caused me makes me feel in fear. I feel like someone is always following me because I was attacked from behind and now I am checking over my shoulder to check if anyone is there. I'm not used to feeling scared at my place of work but now I am in constant fear when I am alone there. I am worried of people walking behind me with a backpack or bag and worried about what they have in there and what they are going to use it for.
"I believed this man wanted to kill me, I don't think he wanted to take my belongings or harm me sexually. He spent 20 minutes torturing me mentally and physically. I believe it was a pre-meditated attack and his only thought was to kill me. I didn't think I would get out alive. I did nothing to him and I was very lucky I was able to disarm him.
"I will now live in fear of what happened to me and what I survived. It's not something a female running her own business alone should have to go through. I am just trying to make an honest living for me and my family. My life has forever changed as a result of this incident, I am always looking over my shoulder and wondering what would have happened if circumstances were different."
Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, said the defendant had been diagnosed with autism but this did not play a part in his offending.
The judge said: "You are devoid of any victim empathy and you said you couldn't be sure an incident to this type wouldn't happen again."
Probert was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of four years and two months, minus the time he has spent on remand in custody.
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He was also made subject to a restraining order for life.
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The two then continued to struggle with the hammer, before Ms Thomas ran to the front door to let her son and daughter-in-law in, as the defendant hid in a bathroom. She told her son Probert had tried to kill her and he grabbed a plant pot before confronting the defendant as Ms Thomas escaped from the parlour. The police were called and the defendant remained in the bathroom until they arrived and he was arrested. Ms Thomas was taken to the University Hospital of Wales and was visibly shaking for a long time. She received treatment for three wounds, including one to the top of her head, one to the right side of her head, and one to the external part of her ear, which required stitches. There were also soft tissue injuries to her neck and hands. Probert, of Vicarage Road, Penygraig, Tonypandy, pleaded guilty to wounding and inflicting grievous bodily harm, intentional strangulation, and possession of an offensive weapon. He is of previous good character. When asked why he carried out the attack against Ms Thomas, the defendant said he couldn't explain why he did what he did and was shocked by his own actions. In a victim personal statement read to the court by Mr Stanway, Ms Thomas said: "This incident has had a serious effect on my mental and physical health. It's also affected the social and economic aspects of my life. "I have struggled to return to my business and keep it running the way it did before. I had no choice but to go back to work which was extremely hard for me as it's where the incident took place and I don't feel safe in this space anymore. I am unable to take new male clients as I don't know what they are capable of and now I only see female clients and male clients I know and trust... "I have issues with my shoulders and ribs which affects my ability to give deep tissue massages and I have lost income. My physical health is not what it used to be. I have also been struggling to get comfortable in bed and I'm having issues with my sleep. "I suffer with post polio syndrome and being hit with a hammer has made it worse. I find it hard to communicate with people more so now as my words become jumbled and things become blurred which I believe is as a result of being hit three times to the head. My mental health is at a very low point as a result of this incident. "I genuinely believed he was going to kill me and feared for my life for the duration of the time I was in that room... I am scared to go out alone and being alone in general. "The anxiety this has caused me makes me feel in fear. I feel like someone is always following me because I was attacked from behind and now I am checking over my shoulder to check if anyone is there. I'm not used to feeling scared at my place of work but now I am in constant fear when I am alone there. I am worried of people walking behind me with a backpack or bag and worried about what they have in there and what they are going to use it for. "I believed this man wanted to kill me, I don't think he wanted to take my belongings or harm me sexually. He spent 20 minutes torturing me mentally and physically. I believe it was a pre-meditated attack and his only thought was to kill me. I didn't think I would get out alive. I did nothing to him and I was very lucky I was able to disarm him. "I will now live in fear of what happened to me and what I survived. It's not something a female running her own business alone should have to go through. I am just trying to make an honest living for me and my family. My life has forever changed as a result of this incident, I am always looking over my shoulder and wondering what would have happened if circumstances were different." Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, said the defendant had been diagnosed with autism but this did not play a part in his offending. The judge said: "You are devoid of any victim empathy and you said you couldn't be sure an incident to this type wouldn't happen again." Probert was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of four years and two months, minus the time he has spent on remand in custody. Article continues below He was also made subject to a restraining order for life.
