Man Receives Suspended Sentence for Violent Assault on Pub Manager
A 24-year-old man from Kent has avoided immediate imprisonment after headbutting a female manager at a Wetherspoons pub in Whitstable. Leon Wimsett, of Herne Bay, admitted to charges of assault and being drunk and disorderly following the incident that occurred on December 19 of last year.
Details of the Violent Confrontation
The court heard that Wimsett became convinced he had left his phone charging behind the bar at The Peter Cushing pub, despite staff repeatedly informing him that they do not provide this service for customers. After being involved in an earlier fight that evening, he returned to the premises in an agitated state.
Prosecutor Neil Sweeney described how the manager was working a normal shift when Wimsett approached her around 10:45pm. "He complained his phone was on charge behind the bar, and we were keeping it from him," the manager recounted in a statement read to the court. "I explained we hadn't done that. None of what he was saying made any sense."
Footage presented in court showed the manager calmly asking Wimsett to leave before he suddenly headbutted her without warning, striking her directly in the nose. "It's a proper headbutt to a female working in a pub," Mr. Sweeney emphasized. "It did make a connection with her nose. There is the use of substantial force. At the end, you can hear her whimpering or crying."
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
The prosecution revealed that Wimsett had consumed cocaine and alcohol on the night of the attack and had a proven history of violence with two previous common assault convictions. Despite this, his defense solicitor Roger Davies argued that Wimsett was "embarrassed and ashamed" of his actions.
"I don't think he's seen the video. I don't think he remembers what happened," Mr. Davies told the court. "But I described it to him, and he winced. He recognises his responsibility and his shame."
Mark Wickham, chair of the bench, noted that the footage had shocked both him and his colleagues. Wimsett received a suspended prison sentence for the assault and was ordered to pay £739 in total costs and fines, including £500 in compensation to the pub manager.
Additional Penalties and Restraining Order
The court imposed several additional measures:
- A restraining order banning Wimsett from visiting The Peter Cushing pub
- No separate penalty for the drunk and disorderly charge
- Requirement to pay victim compensation as part of the financial penalties
As he left the dock, Wimsett thanked the bench for sparing him jail time, promising, "You won't see me again, I promise you." The prosecution had argued that the attack "could have been a far more serious injury" and demonstrated "clear intention to cause serious injury" through what was described as a "reflex action from someone drunk."
Police were called to the scene following the assault, with witnesses identifying Wimsett as the attacker. The case highlights ongoing concerns about violence against hospitality workers and the judicial system's approach to alcohol-related assaults in licensed premises.
