Magistrates have decided their powers of sentencing are not sufficient to deal with a case in which a 21-year-old man is accused of causing serious injury to a man during a late night incident outside a Cardigan nightclub.

When he appeared at Ceredigion Magistrates Court last week Justin Williams, of Swn y Teifi, Pwmporth Lane, Cilgerran, who was represented by Alan Lewis, pleaded not guilty on three counts.

He was charged with unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Sion Rees contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act.

He also denied assaulting Nathan Murphy thereby occasioning him actual bodily harm and assaulting the same person by beating. The offences were allegedly committed in St Mary Street on April 1.

Submitting that the case was not suitable for summary trial prosecutor Dennis Davies said that after the alleged assault Mr Rees was in hospital for five days and underwent surgery to have a steel plate inserted in his face.

The bench declined jurisdiction and the defendant was remanded to appear at Swansea Crown Court this Friday. He was given unconditional bail.