Businessman attacks victim 'for no reason'
Assault in Newbury pub
A THATCHAM businessman launched a savage, unprovoked attack on an innocent pub customer, Newbury magistrates heard.
Seconds earlier, victim David Whittingham had pleaded with Andrew Dempster, saying he wanted no trouble.
But he was sent sprawling to the floor in the Snooty Fox pub in Bartholomew Street, Newbury, with blood pouring from a wound to his eye, the court heard on Thursday, July 2.
Helen Waite, prosecuting, said Mr Dempster, of Dart Close, Thatcham, had been glaring at Mr Whittingham ever since the latter, who was unknown to him, came in.
Mr Whittingham later told police: “He seemed to have a problem with me straight away.
“I don’t even know him but he was hostile and I just tried to placate him.”
Ms Waite said, despite this, 26-year-old Mr Dempster began pointing him out to his friends.
She added: “Mr Whittingham decided to go over and tell Mr Dempster he didn’t want any trouble and to ask what the problem was.”
Mr Whittingham told officers: “I realised my efforts were being wasted and I started to walk away.
“He punched me right in the face with such force that my glasses flew off. I felt really disoriented.”
The stricken man fell to his knees with blood pouring from a wound to his eye and door staff rushed to his aid, the court heard.
He said: “I’d never seen him before, I tried to resolve any issues he had with me.
“I still don’t know what the problem was. I was bleeding, my eye was swollen and my glasses were broken.”
Meanwhile Mr Dempster, a groundsman who runs his own business, had been detained by door staff who witnessed the attack and he was subsequently arrested, said Ms Waite.
She added: “He told police he had been dancing to music when the door staff asked him to leave.
“He said he’d never seen the aggrieved before and denied any assault.”
Unfortunately for Mr Dempster, the court heard, CCTV footage proved otherwise and in a second p olice interview he admitted the attack but could still give no reason for his actions.
Mr Dempster, who has previous convictions for a public order offence and battery, admitted assault by beating on May 25 this year.
Simon Grant, defending, said his client was a hard-working man who was employed as a groundsman during the day and who ran his own business, R&D Precision Landscaping, in the evenings.
He added: “He hasn’t come to the court’s attention for a significant time now, his last conviction was for battery in 2010.
“Regarding the latest assault, he doesn’t know why he did it. There was no motivation.”
Mr Dempster was fined £540 and ordered to pay £250 compensation to Mr Whittingham.
In addition he was ordered to pay a £150 criminal courts charge, £85 costs plus a statutory surcharge of £54.
As he left the dock, presiding magistrate Brenda Harding observed: “That’s £1,079 – an expensive evening.”