Cheshire doorman punches a customer over racist provocation

Feb 2023

The doorman’s punch left the abusive customer with broken facial bones. Recorder said he “acted under very significant provocation.”

Damaras Gordon, 34, was in the court earlier this month after the incident in June last year. The court heard that Gordon was on duty as a doorman at Friars Court in Warrington last year when he threw a man out of town centre bar due to his rowdy behaviour. Then the abusive customer, now complainant, Samuel Lewis waited until he had finished his shift and followed him back to his car while continuing to hurl vile insults at him.

Mr Lewis threw a coin at Mr Gordon saying “Here’s your tip!” He then called him a “black b”, after which Mr Gordon responded by punching the man once in the face which caused Mr Lewis to fall to the ground and hit his head on a signpost and a wall.

Complainant Samuel Lewis suffered “very serious injuries” as a result, including fractures to his facial bones and jaw as well as contusions on the brain. He required two operations to for his broken bones.

Mr Gordon’s lawyer Jim Smith said that Mr Gordon returned to the bar following the incident to alert his manager and waited for police to arrive. Prosecutor Ms Moore told the court Mr Gordon “did everything right until he didn’t – under extreme provocation, he reacted.”

An unusual case

The doorman’s lawyer described the case as “fairly unusual” and told the court that his client had lost his door supervisor’s licence after the incident. After he lost his licence, Mr Gordon started working as a food delivery driver alongside another job at a call centre.

Court heard that the complainant Mr Lewis had several previous convictions for offences including threatening, and drunk and disorderly behaviour. On the other hand, the defendant Mr Gordon was said to be “a good partner and a wonderful father to his children […] a peaceable man and not prone to aggression in any way.”

Defending Mr Gordon, Mr Smith said: “The defendant, from the very outset, accepted responsibility. He very much regrets the harm and suffering caused to the victim in this case and wishes he could turn the clock back. The exceptionally high degree of provocation, which he has never experienced before in his life, led to a flash of retaliation after a slow burn. The victim in this case was extremely persistent.”

Recorder David Knifton KC sentenced Mr Gordon to a two-year community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and a three-month electronically monitored curfew from 11pm to 6am and ordered him to pay court costs of £300.

While sentencing, Recorder added the following: “You are, in every sense of the term, a man of good character. Testimonials describe you as a hard-working family man and a devoted partner and father. I accept your genuine expressions of remorse. This was an impulsive, spontaneous and short-lived assault. You acted under very significant provocation, including having vile racist comments used towards you.”