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A wellness retreat boss who threw a corrosive chemical on a guest's face before fleeing across Europe to avoid arrest has been handed an 18 month prison sentence.
Dean Mayze, 38, was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm following a chemical attack in December 2022 that left a man seriously injured.
On Wednesday, a sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court heard how Mayze, of Abercave, Wales, threw a corrosive substance on Kiefer Price's face at Hafan-y-Coed spiritual retreat after an argument broke out between the pair.
Mr Price, who said his eyes were 'exploding with pain,' had to receive intense medical treatment to avoid permanent sight loss.
Following the attack, Mayze then fled the UK to avoid arrest - triggering a police manhunt across Europe. Bank payments in his name were traced to Dublin, France, Italy, Croatia and Greece before he was eventually arrested in Romania in July 2025.
He was held in custody in a Romanian prison before being transferred to HMP Wormwood Scrubs and then Swansea Prison.
Georgia Donohue, prosecuting, told the court how Mr Price was a guest at the retreat and renting a room there from Mayze, who owned the site.
She said Mr Price became unhappy with the conditions of his room and did not think it was habitable due to a lack of bathing facilities or heating. As as result, he chose to leave and cancelled his rental standard order.
Dean Mayze (pictured) travelled throughout Europe to avoid police after he attacked a guest at his wellness retreat with a corrosive substance
Mr Price then attempted to retrieve his bikes from the site's store cupboard but discovered the door had been locked despite his property being inside. Ms Donohue said he messaged Mayze on Facebook to ask why it was locked but his message was ignored.
Mr Price then kicked the shed's door down to retrieve his bikes and began taking them to his van. He was confronted by Mayze and his son when he returned to collect his final bike.
Ms Donohue described how Mayze was angry and asked Mr Price why he had kicked the door down. The fall-out then escalated after Mayze moved towards Mr Price and threw a blue container towards him.
Liquid from the container, described as a ‘very strong alkaline,' was launched on Mr Price's face, up his nose and in both of his eyes by Mayze. This left him struggling to breathe and Ms Donohue said he felt 'like his eyes were exploding.'
Mayze's partner then drove Mr Price to a nearby A&E department where it was confirmed he had suffered chemical injuries which caused cornial defects and abrasions to both of his eyes.
Mr Price needed an 'intensive course of treatment' in order to stop him from losing his eyesight completely.
Dyfed-Powys Police set out to arrest Mayze as part of their investigation into the attack but it was later found the businessman had fled the country.
Data from Mayze's bank confirmed his card was used at Dublin Airport before he travelled onto France, Italy and Croatia.
Mayze (pictured) was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for the attack, which saw him throw a container holding a corrosive substance toward Mr Price
Mayze spent over two years evading police but was eventually discovered hiding in Romania. He was arrested on September 19, 2025 by Romanian police - almost three years after the offence had occurred.
Mayze appeared in court on 13 January 2026, where he denied the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Instead, he entered a guilty plea to lesser charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm, which was accepted at the hearing.
At Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, Mayze was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Detective Inspector Christine Beaton said: 'Today's sentencing marks the conclusion of a lengthy and complex investigation bring Dean Mayze before the courts, to face the consequences of his vile actions in 2022.
'I want to thank the investigation team who worked tirelessly to bring Mayze back to the UK, and to the public for sharing and responding to our appeal to find this dangerous offender.
'We will not tolerate violence in any measure here in Dyfed-Powys, and this result shows that we will not relent in our pursuit of such offenders.'