Ex-Premier League star’s son jailed for punching 67-year-old woman 33 times in hospital

The son of a former Premier League star has been jailed after a shocking attack on a retired female police officer at a hospital, reports the Sun.

Joni Hartson, 22, son of ex-Arsenal, Celtic, and Wales footballer-turned-pundit John Hartson, brutally assaulted 67-year-old Dawn Lloyd. He lured her into a hospital garden before launching the terrifying attack, punching her 33 times as she tried to defend herself.

Hartson later chillingly told police he picked Dawn because of her age, saying she was an "easy target."

Disturbingly, he also admitted:

I wish I had killed her.

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The report said only a few days later, Hartson also attacked a healthcare worker by punching him in the arm after being moved to another hospital in Carmarthen.

Court ruling for assault

Joni Hartson has now been jailed for two years and six months after admitting to causing grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.

The court in Cardiff heard that Hartson, who has autism, was a patient at Bryngofal Ward in the Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli, South Wales. At the time of the attack in October 2024, he was not sectioned but was receiving treatment for suicidal thoughts.

CCTV footage captured the brutal attack, leaving Dawn Lloyd, a former Royal protection officer  with a bleed on the brain. She now struggles to form coherent sentences but can say:

He's not going to hit me again.

Dawn's sister, Hannah Cox, told the court how Dawn had proudly served in the Royal protection team and worked as an office manager during the Queen's Jubilee celebrations. Now, Dawn lives in fear and is anxious about loud noises, per the report.

Hartson’s lawyer, Owen Williams, said he was depressed and experiencing "possible hallucinations," although no formal diagnosis of psychosis was made.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke called the assault "planned and premeditated," telling Hartson:

You selected Miss Lloyd because she was vulnerable. You deliberately chose someone who could not resist.

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Joni Hartson had earlier been signed as a youth player by Swansea City. His father, John Hartson, had a celebrated football career with clubs like Arsenal, West Ham, and Celtic, and earned 51 caps for Wales before retiring.

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