Claire Leonard knocked out tooth of Executive Command doorman at The Old Waggon and Horses in Newbury
A DRUNKEN woman jumped on the face of a town centre pub doorman, knocking out part of his tooth.
The culprit – a former Berkshire homelessness project boss – was angry because her friend had been tackled by door security, Reading magistrates heard on Wednesday, July 2.
Victim Chris Packham suffered a broken tooth as a result of the attack.
In the dock was 47-year-old Claire Leonard of London Road, Newbury.
Helen Gambrill, prosecuting, said the drama happened outside the Old Waggon and Horses in Market Place, Newbury, on Saturday, May 31.
Mr Packham, of door security firm Executive Command, had been ejecting a troublesome customer when a melee started and he ended up on the ground.
Leonard then ran over and leaped with both feet, smashing into his face as he was grappling with her friend on the floor.
Helen Gambrill, prosecuting, said: “On the CCTV you can see her leave the ground with both feet.
“The victim had been on the floor at that stage; he suffered a broken tooth.”
In a victim impact statement, Mr Packham said: “I was restraining a person; I received a kick to the head – I didn’t see it coming.
“I felt a piece of tooth come out of my mouth; my ears were ringing and I had a banging headache.”
Leonard admitted assault causing actual bodily harm on the basis that she had been reckless rather than intending to do so.
Robert Jacques, defending, said although his client had numerous previous convictions due to a prior addiction to Class A-controlled drugs, none of them were for violence.
In 2015 the Newbury Weekly News reported how Leonard, who had been the manager of a homelessness project, was jailed for drug-related offences.
But Mr Jacques said he was pleased to be able to tell the court that Leonard had successfully conquered her addiction and was now employed as a hotel chef.
She had been drinking on the night in question and was dismayed to see her friend being roughly handled, as she perceived it, by door staff.
Mr Jacques said his client was “mortified” to be back before the courts after working so hard to turn her life around again.
District judge Sam Goozee said: “Mr Packham was working at The Old Waggon and Horses on the evening in question and was serving the public in that capacity.
“There was an incident outside the pub; a member of your party had been forcibly ejected and you made the decision to involve yourself.
“It was described as a kick but I will sentence you on the basis of the CCTV which shows you jump into the group and involve yourself.
“This was a spontaneous, relatively short-lived incident.
“You have addressed a long-standing drug dependency and have no history of violent offending.”
Judge Goozee made Leonard subject to a 12-month community order with a requirement that she complete 100 hours of unpaid community work.
In addition, she was ordered to pay £85 costs and to pay Mr Packham £100 in compensation in lieu of an otherwise statutory victim services surcharge.
Finally, Leonard was banned from entering The Old Waggon and Horses for one year.