Jailed for nine-pint jaw-breaker punch to woman in a club

10 months for knockout blow to female victim

A thug has been jailed after he fondled a woman in a nightclub – and then knocked her unconscious with a vicious ‘haymaker’ punch.

Owen Leader had downed nine pints of lager before touching the victim’s bottom at a bar in Dusk 2 Dawn in Maidstone last November.

CCTV footage showed the mum-of-three fending off the burly scrap metal dealer before moving away and reporting the incident to friends.

There was then a fracas as a male clubber punched Leader, 28, who retaliated.

The woman then joined in the fray and struck Leader’s face. He immediately swung his fist at her in the “dark and noisy” club in King Street.

She fell to the floor and was unconscious for about 30 minutes. She needed surgery for a fractured jaw and cheekbone and treatment for bleeding on the brain.

Leader, of Willow Lane, Paddock Wood, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and sexual assault. He was sentenced to 10 months in jail for the violence and given a conditional discharge for a year for the sexual assault.

Judge Jeremy Carey did not order any compensation, despite the woman claiming £1,300 for loss of wages and travel expenses – and a friend of Leader’s offering to help him pay up to £3,000 if it was needed.

Prosecutor Simon Taylor said the victim’s memory of the attack was limited.

He said a bone was broken below her eye and her jaw was displaced – so that she could not move her mouth properly – and that her face had changed shape.

Describing the sexual assault as degrading, Judge Carey said women should be able to enjoy public places without being “touched up”.

He added: “This was the catalyst for what was about to happen, which can be seen on CCTV footage.”

Judge Carey said the sentence for sexual assault should not be taken as minimising the nature of Leader’s offence.