In the dock at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, February 12, was David Wogan who, ironically, was head of security at the bar and the holder of a Security Industry Association (SIA) door supervisor licence.
The 30-year-old, of Woodlark Road, Newbury, denies assaulting Jake Taylor by beating him and using threatening words or behaviour towards barman Sheldon Lyons on February 5 last year, claiming he was the victim of multiple assaults.
Shehneela Ahmed, prosecuting, said an argument broke out between Mr Wogan and Mr Lyons, resulting in a physical altercation by the benches outside.
CCTV footage shows a melee as others join in or try to separate the pair.
He added: “I saw David throwing punches at Sheldon; David said to Sheldon: ‘I’m going to f*** you up.’
“They went over on to the benches, scuffling, and I’m trying to pry them apart.
“David grabbed Sheldon and was biting him as he lay on the floor.”
Another witness, assistant pub manager Georgia Hampton, told the court that Mr Lyons, her boyfriend, still bore scars on his shoulder from the biting.
Mr Taylor said he managed to calm the situation down but then Mr Wogan tried to enter the pub to get his car keys.
Mr Taylor refused, telling him he was too drunk to drive.
He said Mr Wogan tried to force his way inside then attacked him, choking him with both hands and causing a glass window in the front door to shatter.
Under cross examination by Nathaniel Ikeazor, for Mr Wogan, Mr Taylor agreed all parties had been enjoying drinks that evening on a night off, including himself.
He denied that Mr Wogan had been asking for his house keys and insisted he had wanted his car keys.
Ms Hampton told the court that, when the scuffle started, “Sheldon was saying: ‘Come on Dave, calm down, let’s go inside’ – but David replied: ‘F*** you.’
“It was chaos… David was uncontrollable, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Under cross examination, Ms Hampton conceded she may have struck Mr Wogan during the brawl.
Mr Ikeazor suggested that the CCTV footage showed Mr Lyons approach Mr Wogan before grabbing, first his arm and then his beard.
He added that it appeared Ms Hampton had been “raining blows” on his client, who had been assaulted by multiple people after Mr Lyons first “squared up” and yanked his arm.
Mr Wogan has yet to give evidence on his own behalf and the court ran out of time.
The trial was adjourned until next month, when the defence will present its case.
Mr Wogan was meanwhile released on bail with conditions.
Source – Newbury today
