Thug is jailed for nightclub attack

MAN ‘INCAPABLE OF STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE’

A VIOLENT thug who was spared prison for fracturing a baby’s skull has finally been locked up after attacking a man in a nightclub and threatening his ex.

Donovan Johns was given a suspended prison sentence last year after injuring an 18-week-old with an accidental glancing blow during an assault on the child’s mum.

Despite getting the chance to stay out of prison, he has proved incapable of keeping out of trouble.

Since being sentenced in June last year the 28-yearold has been given two further suspended prison terms, for public order and bail offences.

Now a judge has finally lost patience with him after he was convicted of assaulting a man in Glitterball nightclub in South Shields then making threats to his former partner outside.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Johns was subject to all three suspended jail terms when he bumped into the woman, who is from South Shields.

She was on a night out in May, and Johns started being aggressive to her when he saw her in the club.

The court heard Johns punched a family friend who stepped in to protect the woman, and continued his brutish behaviour towards his ex outside. Prosecutor Michael Bunch said: “He told her he was going to burn down her mother’s house with her mother and sister in it. He pointed at her, saying ‘watch,’ and made a slashing movement across his throat.”

Johns, of Briardene Drive, Wardley, Gateshead, admitted common assault and a public order offence.

Sentencing him to 14 months in prison and imposing a restraining order to protect the ex, Judge Robert Adams, who passed two of the earlier suspended sentences, told him: “It seems you are incapable of maintaining any proper compliance with the orders. You are not deterred by suspended sentence orders.

“I have given you the benefit of the doubt on numerous previous occasions. You seem incapable of staying out of trouble in drink and continue to re-offend, committing offences as a result of losing your temper confronting people with whom you have a grievance.”

Fiona Lamb, mitigating, said Johns has enrolled on courses and accepted help to cope with his problems and change his behaviour. She added: “He has a number of mental health problems and he feels one of his issues is anger management.”

He told her he was going to burn down her mother’s house with her mother and sister in it Prosecutor Michael Bunch