Landlord blinded by man, jury told
ASOUTHPORT man attacked a pub landlord, leaving him blind in one eye after he escorted his drunken girlfriend outside, a court heard.
Steve Kirkbride suffered the life-changing injury during an incident at The Victoria pub on Southport Promenade on Boxing Day 2015.
The prosecution said Andrew Fleming delivered a “deliberate blow” to Mr Kirkbride after his partner, Kirsty McCrave, fought with bar staff.
Fleming, 33, of The Grange, Southport is accused of inflicting grievous bodily harm in a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
The court heard that Mr and Mrs Kirkbride were working in the pub when a group of four people entered at around 10pm.
Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, said the group, including Fleming, his girlfriend and two other men, sat down at a table.
She said Miss McCrave was seen “slumped over the table” and was refused service at the bar and told to drink water.
The lawyer said Mrs Kirkbride saw her then trying to take alcohol from the men and went over to speak to the group.
She said that the licensee told Miss McCrave that she should only be drinking water and that she would have to leave.
Ms McNeill said: “As she walked away, Miss McCrave gave her a V sign. Mr Kirkbride took exception to this.
“He told her enough was enough and asked them to finish their drinks and leave.”
However, Ms McNeill said, Miss McCrave went to the toilets, where shortly after she was reported being sick.
Bar worker Katie Aimers went in to check on Miss McCrave, at which point a “commotion” broke out.
The prosecutor said Mrs Kirkbride followed Miss Aimers into the toilets and found Miss McCrave “trying to fight” with her.
She said they managed to get her out of the toilets and, with the help of Mr Kirkbride, escorted her to the porch area of the pub.
Ms McNeill said Miss McCrave, who was being “very aggressive”, dropped her handbag and the contents spilt onto the floor.
The lawyer said: “Mr Kirkbride bent down to pick them up.
“At this point the defendant suddenly attacked him and delivered a blow to his face, connecting with his left eye.”
Ms McNeill told the jury that the landlord followed Fleming and managed to take a photo of him, before returning to the pub.
Police and paramedics were called and Mr Kirkbride was taken to hospital, where he underwent the first of several operations.
Ms McNeill said: “Sadly he has actually lost the sight in that left eye.”
When spoken to by police, Fleming denied using any violence to cause injury to Mr Kirkbride.
Ms McNeill said he denied any wrongdoing but it was the prosecution case he struck a “deliberate blow” to cause the injury.
Mr Kirkbride has described the alleged attack as like being “hit with a brick on a stick”.
He said he bent down to pick up a pair of glasses on the floor and Miss McCrave tried to kick him, but missed.
He said he took hold of her by the arms and tried to get her outside but it was “like trying to hold a Bengal tiger”.
The landlord said: “I kept losing my grip on her. She was scratching, kicking, spitting. It was horrendous.
He said DJ Steve Neild helped get Miss McCrave to the porch but someone was “tugging” at him and it was “pandemonium”.
Mr Kirkbride said she kept falling down because she was “paralytic drunk” and when she fell in the porch, he tried to pick up her handbag.
He said as he bent down “someone hit me in the left eye - very hard” but he added: “I did not see who it was.”
The landlord said: “I instantly knew there was something seriously wrong with my eye. I couldn’t see anything out of my eye.
“I looked in front of me and saw him running away.”
Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, asked: “Who did you see running away?” He replied: “The guy over there, Andrew Fleming.”
At the time of going to print, the trial was ongoing.