A doorman left a clubgoer with a large cut to his head and injured two other men in separate incidents in Warrington town centre.
Joshua Aspinall, described in court as being chair of Warrington Pub Watch and a volunteer worker, initially tried to claim he had been acting in self-defence, but he eventually admitted he acted with excessive and unlawful force.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard how on October 28 last year, one complainant was told he was too drunk to enter Level nightclub, which he disputed.
“He challenged it, with no aggression being shown, and the defendant reacted by pushing him backwards in an attempt to eject him,” said Olivia Rendell, prosecuting.
“When he did not leave, Aspinall punched him to the left side of his face, causing him to fall and hit his head on a nearby desk and suffer a large cut to his head.”
The next night, 31-year-old Aspinall was at the club when another customer was ejected by door staff.
The defendant asked what was happening, approached the rear of a complainant and tried to make him let go of the door.
“When he does not, the defendant hits him on the hand with his torch nine times to make him let go. A number of door staff told him to stop,” Ms Rendell said.
The victim’s hand was bruised for two weeks, and he had also suffered small scratches.
Then on November 5, a clubgoer was ejected from the premises by Aspinall.
“The complainant said he needed to tell his girlfriend he was being thrown out and had his hand on a banister,” Ms Rendell told the court.
“The defendant hit his hand four times with his torch until he let go. The complainant suffered several scratches to his hand.”
In a statement, the victim said that three days later, his hand was still swollen, bruised and cut.
Aspinall, of Lodge Lane in Bewsey, pleaded guilty to three offences of assault by beating on the day his trial was due to start.
The court heard he has four previous convictions for driving offences, but none for violence.
Olivia Belle, defending, said: “His behaviour was inexcusable and can only be described as out of character.
“For the past 10 years, he has devoted his time not only as a doorman, but to a number of community groups, helping several charities.”
She said he volunteers for Warrington Voluntary Action and that he ‘holds the serious position of chair of Pub Watch, and devotes his time to beating crime’.
Among references produced on his behalf was one from a crown court recorder for his ‘heroic services in the security industry’, she said.
“His doorman licence has been suspended. He hopes at the conclusion of these proceedings, having shown professionalism for 10 years, he can get his licence back,” said Miss Belle.
She said that he is remorseful and regretted his behaviour, adding that in May he was attacked and suffered a brain injury which landed him in an induced coma.
Magistrates sentenced him to 10 weeks in prison, but the term was suspended for 18 months.
Chair magistrate Peter Bingham said that, ‘due to his efforts in the community’, rehabilitation is a ‘distinct possibility’.
The bench ordered him to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and attend the Building Better Choices programme.
Aspinall was ordered to pay the first victim £500 compensation and latter two £100 each.
Source – Warrington Guardian