Damning indictment of Newbury's drinking culture after brutal and senseless assault

The incident left one man hospitalised and the other incarcerated.
However, neither one remembered what triggered the violence, or even cared, the court was told on Thursday, December 5.
In the dock was 22-year-old Chad Nel, and prosecutor Claire French said that he had been drinking in Newbury town centre, moving from the Hogs Head to the Diamond Tap and finally the Snooty Fox.
She said that a doorman at the latter heard a commotion outside and saw a man, now known to be Mark Leitch, fall to the floor.
Miss French added: “While the man was on the floor, the defendant struck a punch straight down on to his face with considerable force.” As Mr Leitch lay helpless, Mr Nel, of Rotary Way, Thatcham, rained more punches down on him, the court heard.
Miss French said: “Mr Leitch woke up in Basingstoke Hospital.”
Mr Nel admitted committing assault by beating in the early hours of November 11 this year.
Mike Davis, defending, said: “This is an indictment of our drinking culture. Neither young man remembers a thing about it – not what led up to it, nor what was said, nor what happened as a result.
“The victim in this case had drunk at least eight pints and a number of shots and my client had had far too much to drink as well.”
Mr Davis told magistrates of “a well-travelled route on Saturday nights; from the Hogs Head to the Diamond Tap – which operates as a ‘de facto’ nightclub –and finally on to the Snooty Fox which, at 4am, is the last to close”.
He said that, although neither party recalled anything about the incident, Mr Nel, an apprentice plumber and heating engineer, had accepted his guilt after watching CCTV footage.
Mr Davis added: “He is seen to run across the road; there’s an argument with the aggrieved, who then goes to the floor. He says he can’t think why he did it.
“The victim was so drunk they couldn’t wake him in hospital the next day. When he did wake, he said ‘I don’t really want to know. I’m going home’.”
Despite having no recollection, Mr Davis said that his client had “a genuine sense of shame” and added: “He accepts there can be no justification for what he did.”
Magistrates noted that “drunkenness to this extent was very prevalent late at night” before fining Mr Nel £100 with £85 costs and £20 surcharge. They also ordered him to pay £100 compensation to Mr Leitch.