‘Bullying’ twin was beaten with a plank of wood (From Hereford Times)

‘Bullying’ twin was beaten with a plank of wood in Hay-on-Wye

11:10am Thursday 1st November 2012 in News

A TWIN who spent a lifetime putting up with his bullying brother finally snapped – and attacked him with a plank of wood.

Guy Fagence, 41, shared a bottle of brandy with his twin Mark over a meal at his Hay-on-Wye home before the pair began rowing yet again.

A court heard that when Mark, who had “dominated his twin since a child”, went for an afternoon nap his brother fetched a plank from the garden.

Guy repeatedly hit his sleeping twin across the head in a “brutal, frenzied and relentless attack” which left him critically ill in a coma.

Prosecuting, Michael Hammett said: “He told police: ‘I did it, I lost my temper’."

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard how Fagence told officers how his brother had bullied him “exercising emotional, financial, physical and mental abuse”.

The court heard the twins had battled for power within their close relationship, with Mark becoming the dominant brother.

Mr Hammett added: “Police were called to their mews flat to find Mr Fagence covered in blood.

“At first his twin claimed he had been to the shop and had returned to find his brother in that state.

“But then he admitted using a plank of wood to smash his brother across the head as he lay in bed.

“It was a brutal, frenzied and relentless attack which almost killed his twin.”

Mark was put into an induced coma after the attack on June 3 and was transferred to a specialist neurosurgical unit for treatment for a brain haemorrhage.

He regained consciousness six days later and spent almost a month in hospital.

Fagence, of Union Mews, Hay-on-Wye, was jailed for six years and four months after admitting grievous bodily harm with intent to his twin.

Tom Crowther, defending, said Fagence was “genuinely remorseful and sorry” for what he had done.

He said: “The balance of power between the brothers is firmly lain on the side of Mark. It is a power he has abused and there has been a long standing bullying relationship.

“But he has said he will never forgive himself for what he did that day.”

Judge Richard Twomlow told Fagence: “Nobody will ever know what happened on that day.

“There were times that your brother was overbearing towards you. But this was a brutal, frenzied and relentless attack.”