A man stabbed a doorman after being refused entry into an Oldham bar because of his clothing, which left the doorman thinking he was going to die.
Richard Johnstone appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday, December 23, after pleading guilty to section 18 assault, or wounding with intent, and possessing a bladed article in a public place.
Just after 11pm on May 4 this year, Johnstone, 42, walked up to the door of Trapdoor bar on Middleton Road in Royton.
The security doorman told Johnstone that he could not enter as he was wearing sportswear, and the bar had a no sportswear policy, with Johnstone responding in a verbally aggressive manner.
Shortly after, a group of people arrived to come into the bar and Johnstone attempted to walk in alongside them, however, the doorman told Johnstone once again that he could not enter.
A physical altercation ensued as the victim tried to physically prevent Johnstone from entering the premises, while a woman who was attempting to calm matters down was knocked over.
Johnstone, of Shaw Street, Royton, left the premises and said he would return with eight men, with the victim asking another fellow door worker to attend Trapdoor in case Johnstone returned.
Around 15 minutes later, Johnstone returned wearing different clothes and on arrival at Trapdoor took a step back, looked to get something out of his pocket and lunged at the doorman, stabbing him in the stomach.
An ambulance was called for the victim, who survived the stabbing.
“I genuinely remember thinking that I was going to die”
In a victim impact statement read out in court, the doorman said: “Thinking back to the night that the assault happened, I can still vividly see his face when he lunged at me and I can still see him stood in the road with the knife dripping with blood.
“Immediately after it happened, I just remember feeling absolutely freezing cold and I genuinely remember thinking that I was going to die. The severity of it started to dawn on me, and I started to think that I wouldn’t make it.
“Whilst I was in the back of the ambulance, my son and daughter both called me completely out of the blue even though they didn’t know what had happened – it was like they had a sixth sense, and at that point I remember thinking that it must’ve been a sign that I wasn’t going to make it. It was such a horrible feeling that I’ve never felt before.
“I have been working as a doorman for over 30 years, and I’ve never been assaulted in this way before. It’s completely changed my outlook on my job, and I haven’t worked at all since the assault happened.
“As I was self-employed, this means that I’ve lost out on earnings that I’ll never be able to recover.
“The job that I loved and felt confident doing just doesn’t feel safe to me anymore.
“Whilst I am glad that there has now been a positive closure to this ordeal, and I do believe that justice will be served, being a victim in the criminal justice system for the first time in my life at the age of 69 has been a horrendous and traumatising experience for myself and my family.
“Whilst the incident will live with me for the rest of my life, I hope more than anything that this sentencing will allow us to start moving on with our lives and making the most of each and every day.”
Johnstone was sentenced to seven years in prison for the stabbing.
DC Kirstie Masterton from our Oldham CID team said: “An attack like this on our hardworking members of the public will never be tolerated in our communities.
“The victim was simply doing his job when he was attacked in what is a shocking and awful case.
“This sentencing reflects the seriousness of his actions and the commitment of GMP to tackling violence from those who show a blatant disregard for public safety.
“I hope this conviction will provide some reassurance to the victim and he can begin to move on and feel safe in his community again.”
Source – Oldham Times
