Boss trashed local pub after booze and drugs binge
ACOMPANY director trashed a village pub and demanded he sleep with the barmaid whilst he was ‘paralytic’ after a lager and cocaine binge.
Michael Leonard, 46, from Macclesfield, who had not eaten or slept in three days, switched on the beer taps and began smashing wine bottles and glasses when he was asked to leave for propositioning the woman when she was serving other customers.
During the childish temper tantrum at the De Trafford Arms Hotel in Alderley Edge, Leonard upturned a customer’s pint of Guinness and also made sexist remarks to the woman’s female colleague.
He then manhandled her saying: “Try and stop me.”
Police were called and arrested powerfully-built dad-of-three Leonard.
But he insisted: “I just went behind the bar and turned the taps on and smashed up some glasses because I didn’t like the barmaid’s attitude.”
At Stockport magistrates court, Leonard was ordered to pay £500 compensation after he admitted common assault, criminal damage and a public order charge.
The court was told that he is currently living on Ivy Lane with his parents after a three-month stint at a rehab clinic in South Africa.
Leonard is vice president of an international logistics firm.
The afternoon bust-up happened in March, when Leonard went to the pub in search of food after going for 72 hours without sleep and taking cocaine from ‘morning to night’.
Prosecutor Miss Tina Cunnane, said: “He made a sexist comment towards one of the staff members.
“She was shocked by this then she heard the defendant say to her colleague ‘when are you going to sleep with me?’
“Her colleague also challenged the defendant and he was told to leave. He pushed a number of wine bottles to the floor causing them to smash.
“He had also put all the beer taps on as he approached and she said she was terrified by the defendant’s behaviour.”
It was also said Leonard pushed one of the barmaids with both hands in her chest.
Miss Cunnane added: “He said he was going to AA meetings twice a week but he lies and continues to drink even though he knows he shouldn’t. Using his own words on this occasion he was paralytic.
“He said he doesn’t have a short temper and doesn’t know what makes him lose his temper.
“He said she was flirtatious with him and others but admitted nobody gave him the right to do what he did.”
She added that Leonard said his behaviour was out of character and he could not remember pushing the barmaid or asking her to have sex.
In 2013 he was convicted of assault after punching his ex-partner’s husband 10 times in revenge for being mocked about wearing a red sports vest.
During the assault he told the victim: “Don’t laugh at me or I will kill you.”
Defending, Robert Vann said Leonard admitted to having a ‘childish tantrum’ after he had made ‘crass remarks’ to staff and they had refused to serve him anymore drinks.
He said: “The assault is pushing the barmaid - a singular push to her shoulder. He simply walks behind the bar and then backed out and is escorted off the premises. It was a short-lived affair, thankfully.” He said he was in the pub on a daily basis and knew everybody there and he wishes to apologise through me. It was out of character.”
Mr Vann talked about Leonard’s life, saying he married young to his first wife - with whom he had three children - between 1998 and 2000.
He became an alcoholic but there was a long period of sobriety.
The end of a second marriage in 2018 saw him fall off the wagon with heavy medication for depression and anxiety.
Mr Vann said: “On this occasion was using cocaine as well. Some days he was so low he spent the day using cocaine morning through to night.
“This incident has been a well needed push to resolve his difficulties once and for all as it has lead to him to moving back in with his parents - which he’s somewhat embarrassed about.”
He added Leonard is now a ‘completely different’ person and ‘many of his friends hold him in high regard’.
Leonard was also fined £200 with £200 costs and a restraining order that bans him from the De Trafford Arms for 12 months.
At the time of the incident he had lived in a £400,000 apartment next to the pub.
Speaking to the Express after the hearing Leonard said that he had been clean and sober since the incident. He added: “What I did was absolutely inexcusable and I can see how two women working behind a bar could be a little bit frightened and unsure what to do.
“I am apologising to all concerned and my family.
“But it has been massively blown out of proportion. The reaction and online abuse (after the hearing) has been over the top.”