Dad knocked out victim in drunken attack at pub bar
BUT JUDGE SPARES ‘GOOD MAN’ FROM PRISON SENTENCE
A DAD who knocked another man unconscious in a drunken pub attack was spared jail after his barrister described him as a “good man”.
CCTV footage played into Bolton Crown Court showed Lee Tynan headbutting his victim, as they both stood at the bar in The White Horse, Westhoughton.
Tynan, who was wearing a hi-vis jacket, then punched the man to the ground and continued to attack him as he lay unconscious.
Bar staff then had to drag Tynan off the victim and throw him out of the pub, prosecution barrister Mark Friend told the court.
The victim had visited the pub with his partner and nephew on February 10, 2020, the court heard.
After around an hour and a half in the pub, he was at the bar having his last drink of the night and Mr Friend said that he has “no memory of what happened next.”
Tynan’s attack was unprovoked and he punched the man a number of times when it was clear that he was no longer moving, the court was told.
He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm but initially on the basis that he acted in self-defence.
After seeing the CCTV on the morning of a trial of issue, the 51-year-old retracted his basis of plea and accepted the prosecution’s version of events.
In an impact statement, the victim said that he was ‘very outgoing’ before the incident but that his ‘life has completely changed.’
He said that he has stopped socialising and has become a ‘nervous wreck’ on the rare occasions that he does go out.
Defending Tynan, Charlotte Rimmer said: “He’s a good man, your honour.
“He did a bad thing in drink and needs intervention.”
Ms Rimmer added: “At time of offence, his life was in disarray.
“His relationship had ended, he had no contact with his young daughter, he was sleeping in his car and drinking to excess on a daily basis to cope.
“He is deeply ashamed of what he did. It is something he’d have never done had he not been in drink.
“He can’t bring himself to watch the footage, he’s so ashamed of it.”
Tynan, of Jenkinson Street, Hindley,
was sentenced to an 18-month community order.
The judge, Recorder Michael Blakey said: “As you know you can’t go around attacking individuals for no reason.
“That is completely unacceptable.”
He ordered Tynan to complete 50 hours unpaid work, 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and pay £500 compensation to the victim.