Doorman floored Connah's Quay taxi driver with single punchA DOORMAN who punched a man so hard it “could have killed him,” said a judge, has been jailed.
Lee Peter Holland, 31, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm following an attack on Kenneth Joyce, a taxi driver, outside the Boathouse Inn, Connah’s Quay, on November 24.
Holland, from Birkenhead, was sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Friday to 12 months imprisonment, having pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm at a hearing on May 31.
The court heard the attack left Mr Joyce with a fractured eye socket, broken cheekbone, and a 4cm cut in the back of his head.
As a result of the incident Mr Joyce has been left with a ‘permanent dint’ in the side of his head.
The incident occurred at about 9.30pm when Mr Joyce went into the Boathouse Inn to find his son intoxicated and asleep on a chair.
Owen Edwards, prosecuting, said when Mr Joyce offered to take his son out of the pub, so not to cause a scene, Holland responded “aggressively” and “dragged Mr Joyce out of the building”.
The court was then shown CCTV footage clearly showing Holland punching Mr Joyce and knocking him unconscious.
Recorder, Judge Keith Bush, said: “There is every chance that the punch you threw at Mr Joyce could have killed him.
“You are a doorman who has abused his position and inflicted unjust violence on a perfectly innocent member of the public.
He added: “This case is an outrage to the public.
“I am aware that doormen do a very difficult job and often put their safety on the line for others.
“However, people in your position must be made aware that they cannot commit acts of violence like this.”
Claire Jones, defending, said Holland’s impeccable record as a doorman in the 13 years prior to the incident suggests this attack was out of character and he overreached.
However Judge Bush said this was not the case and that to say Holland, who has now had his doorman’s licence taken away from him, had ‘overreached’ was an “understatement”.
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