Nightmare for door staff as well as emergency workers

An ambulance was called to the incident with Gough, of St Michael’s Road, put inside it before he again turned violent and delivered a racial slur. ‘He grabbed the genitals of a police officer and spat in the faces of (four) officers,’ Mr Devlin said.

‘On the way to hospital he continued to be abusive and grabbed hold of a paramedic’s thumb.’

Gough, who also smashed the inside of the ambulance, continued to be ‘loud and disruptive’ when he got to hospital where he caused a ‘disturbance’, resulting in him assaulting a member of NHS staff after he kicked the back of their chair.

CCTV of the pub incident was played to the court showing Gough outside confronting door staff.

Gough was also in court to be sentenced for a similar incident on January 4 last year at Bobby’s Italian Restaurant in Stoke Road, Gosport. After being denied alcohol he became aggressive, prompting the owner to come out and see what was happening. Gough then put a white tablet down on a table and started to crush it before he was again told to leave. ‘Mr Gough then punched (the owner) three times in the head. After the owner managed to force him out, Mr Gough tried to punch him again several times but the owner deflected these with his hands,’ Mr Devlin said.

The court heard Gough had previous convictions for assaulting emergency workers and sexual assault in December on a female member of security at Astoria nightclub.

The prosecutor added: ‘It seems this gentleman has particular difficulties when being asked to leave premises.’

Gough was convicted of five counts of assaulting an emergency worker, two counts of assault by beating, a single charge of possessing an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour, and using racially aggravated words.

Judge David Melville KC said the offences would ‘normally’ result in immediate custody but with Gough showing prospects for rehabilitation, he decided to spare him jail and hand him a six-month sentence suspended for two years. A six-month drug and alcohol monitoring program was also handed down along with 16 rehabilitation days.

The judge described the incidents as ‘sickening’ before adding: ‘These were disgraceful acts and it’s time you learnt drink gets you into these problems.’

But he took note of Gough’s ‘unfortunate upbringing’, stating: ‘It’s hardly surprising you resorted to drink and drugs. There is a prospect of rehabilitation. You must take it otherwise you will be coming back here with increasing frequency.’

Door supervisor investigated by SIA

A spokesman for Wetherspoons said: ‘Wetherspoon is aware of the incident which happened on Tuesday February 21. The doorman concerned was engaged by Wetherspoon via a third party security company.

‘The footage shows the end of an incident whereby the door supervisor concerned was subject to an assault involving a weapon by the customer who had been removed from the premises for his behaviour. The incident was reported immediately to Hampshire police who carried out an investigation and was also subsequently investigated by the Security Industry Authority, the body which regulates and licenses door supervisors.

‘Having reviewed the pub’s CCTV of the whole incident, they decided that whilst the doorman did use force, it was in defence to the assault that was taking place on him and no action was taken against him. The customer involved has been charged with a number of offences arising from the incident and was remanded in custody.’

(Source: The News)

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

(CCTV Footage)