Bistro boss headbutts diner for complaining
Man was attacked on restaurant’s opening day
A ‘STRESSED’ restaurant boss headbutted a diner unconscious after hearing him complain about a lack of napkins on the new bistro’s first day.
Siroosh Bavarsad, 31, snapped when customer Graeme Noble found fault with the service while having lunch at The Clock Tower.
Following weeks of mounting pressure in the lead-up to the Glasgow restaurant’s opening, Bavarsad had already heard train driver Mr Noble complain about a lack of napkins and not being given a roll with his soup.
When the restaurateur heard raised voices as the complaints continued, he ‘lost his temper and lashed out’ – racing out from the kitchen to headbutt the 57-year-old.
The blow knocked Mr Noble to the floor, unconscious. Bavarsad then walked out, leaving his victim to be treated by medics from nearby Glasgow Royal Infirmary who had also been having lunch at the bistro.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday, Bavarsad, of the city’s Hyndland, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Noble to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement on March 6 last year at the Clock Tower on Castle Street, Glasgow.
The court heard Mr Noble was a customer who was having lunch at 12.30pm. Procurator fiscal depute Pauline Henderson said: ‘The complainer approached the desk of the restaurant to complain about the standards of service.
‘While making his complaint the
‘Lost his temper and lashed out’
accused is described to have flown into a rage and headbutted the complainer once to the face which knocked him to the floor.
‘A number of medical staff were having lunch in the restaurant that day and immediately tended to the complainer and summoned both ambulance and police.’
The court heard Mr Noble was left with a scar above his eye. Defence lawyer Stephen Fox said: ‘March 6 was his first day of opening and it’s fair to say everything that could go wrong was going wrong on that particular day.’
He said his client told the customer it was the opening day and that they would try to do better before going into the kitchen.
Mr Fox continued: ‘When he was there he heard raised voices, he then re-attended the restaurant where the complainer was now complaining to Mr Bavarsad’s mother.
‘When Mr Bavarsad approached the complainer he was essentially telling his mother how poor their establishment was.
‘Mr Bavarsad advises me that after all of the weeks of pressure leading up to March 6 and seeing his mother being upset at the complaint, he lost his temper and lashed out.’
Sheriff Martin Jones, QC, deferred sentence until next month for reports and continued bail.