Man punched IBar doorman
A MAN punched a doorman as he attempted to eject a drunk man from a bar, a court has heard.
Joseph Anthony Aspin, 37, of Oakdene Avenue, Accrington, struck Paul Ridgeway as he was working door security at IBar in Accrington town centre at around 12.45am on December 6 last year.
Blackburn Magistrates’ Court heard that Aspin had been involved in an altercation with the same member of staff a week earlier.
Prosecutor Tracy Yates told the court that Mr Ridgeway was escorting a male out of the premises who was being ejected for being too drunk and the pair had fallen to the floor as they were grappling.
She said: “As he was doing this he suddenly felt a punch to the side of his face.
“The defendant was stood in a fighting stance with his fists clenched.”
The court heard that Mr Ridgeway then got up and pulled back, thinking he may be hit again.
Police were then called and Aspin was arrested.
When interviewed Aspin agreed that he should not have got involved.
He said he had been involved in an aggressive incident the previous week with the same member of staff and had seen the doorman ejecting the man and believed he was using excessive force.
When shown CCTV he agreed that it was him who used ‘a left hook’ to strike the doorman.
Aspin, who has a previous record of 26 convictions for 50 offences, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault.
Defending, Andrew Parker said his client ‘wished he hadn’t got involved in the incident’.
The bench imposed a curfew punishment which means he will be electronically monitored and will not be able to leave his home between 7pm and 7am for 28 days.
He was also ordered to pay £90 in compensation to Mr Ridgeway.