Man headbutted fellow pub customer

Newbury magistrates heard that a drinker headbutted a pub customer who asked him to replace his friend's ruined pint

A DRINKER headbutted a pub customer who asked him to replace his friend's ruined pint, Newbury magistrates heard last Thursday, January 27.

Thirty-nine-year-old John Wilde, of Third Avenue, Aldermaston, then resisted a Ministry of Defence police officer who tried to arrest him, the court was told.

Cariad Evesson-Webb, prosecuting, said trouble flared in the garden of the Six Bells pub at Burghfield Common.

She said the victim, Christopher Adams, had been sitting in the garden enjoying a drink with friends when he noticed a liquid was being sprayed onto them.

Ms Evesson-Webb added: “After a moment it stopped and he forgot about it. Then, minutes later, the same thing happened. He looked over to a group of males which included the defendant and noticed that the spray was foam from a fire extinguisher.

“It had gone into his friend's drink and into other drinks so he went over and asked Mr Wilde if he would like to buy his friend a replacement pint.”

Swearing, Mr Wilde replied that he would mind and promptly headbutted Mr Adams in the face, causing him to stagger back with blood oozing from a cut to his eye, magistrates were told.

Ms Evesson-Webb went on: “The defendant was being aggressive and shouting and Mr Adams flagged down a passing MoD police car.”

Mr Wilde initially tried to resist arrest, the court heard, but later told officers he had “lost the plot.”

Mr Wilde, who has previous convictions, admitted assaulting Mr Adams by beating him and resisting Pc Christopher Pearce in the execution of his duty, both on July 22 last year.

Toby Bishop, defending, said the headbutt was reckless rather than intentional and that Mr Wilde had acted “in a state of drunkenness and despair.”

He explained that Mr Wilde's father, to whom he had been extremely close, had recently died and Mr Wilde had come from the funeral earlier that same day.

He added: “He was devastated by the loss of his father. He has not committed any offences since the birth of his children and is embarrassed and sorry for the poor chap he assaulted.”

Magistrates imposed a community order with 10 week curfew between 9pm and 7am, to be enforced, seven days a week with an electronic tag.

Mr Wilde was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to Mr Adams.