Bouncer spared jail
ABOUNCER attacked a nightclub reveller because he and his friends were leaving ‘too slowly’ at closing time, a court heard.
Amir Naghdlou, aged 30, of Tatton Close, Cheadle, avoided jail after being convicted of common assault.
He had been accused of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but was acquitted of that charge.
Manchester Crown Court heard that Naghdlou was working at Kiki bar on Canal Street in the Gay Village when the incident occurred just before closing time, at about 3.50am on July 15, 2017.
Prosecutors said there were four young men who had been drinking in the bar who were ‘slow in leaving’ and were ‘causing something of a nuisance’.
The court heard that the victim was finishing his drink when he was asked to leave by the doorman.
Naghdlou watched them for a few moments until ‘something caused him (Naghdlou) to knock the glass he was drinking from out of his hand’.
He then ‘grabbed’ the man by the scruff of the neck.
The pair then became involved in a scuffle under a table in the bar.
Naghdlou said that the man swung a plastic glass at him. The judge said he was prepared to accept this even though it wasn’t covered by CCTV.
As a result, Naghdlou suffered an ‘unpleasant’ cut to his mouth, which later required him to have plastic surgery.
“It may well have been the effect of that which caused you to behave in the way you did,” recorder Paul Reid QC said.
The fight continued, and Naghdlou punched him to the shoulder ‘at least once’, and possibly more, the court heard. He also kicked the man to the shoulder.
Sentencing, the judge said the victim was ‘vulnerable’ because he was drunk, and that the offence was aggravated because Naghdlou was in a position of authority as a doorman.
Defending, David Taylor said that Naghdlou, who has previous convictions, was put in a ‘headlock’ and was trying to free himself.
The barrister said the defendant is ‘remorseful’ and accepts he showed ‘poor self control’ He was sentenced to a 12 month community order, and must complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
The judge said that ‘in all probability’ Naghdlou will return to being a bouncer in future, despite being suspended from his job as a result of the court proceedings.