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09
May
Person who slammed man’s head against bar at Harrogate pub avoids jail
A man who violently assaulted a member of staff at a Harrogate pub has escaped jail.
Peter Horne, of Burley Bank Road in Killinghall, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm on March 20 this year. The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Horne returned to Harrogate Magistrates Court today (May 9) for sentencing.
Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting, told the court the victim – a named man – was working at The Claro Beagle on the evening of July 5, 2024.
Horne was known to the victim prior to the incident.
The court heard Horne had made a “rude comment” towards a staff member that evening, and the victim had “pulled him up on it”, after which he apologised.
Later that evening, the victim started cashing up, but he could see four members of the public were still inside the pub on CCTV, despite last orders having been called a while before.
Horne remained inside The Claro Beagle after 11.30pm, when drinks should be finished, and was asked to leave.
Horne told the victim he was waiting for a taxi, but remained on site.
The victim told Horne if he didn’t leave, he would be barred from the venue for life, Ms Ibbotson said, adding this then angered the 46-year-old defendant.
She told the court:
The defendant swung at [victim], who managed to dodge it. The defendant then grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and punched him once.
Horne walked behind the bar towards the complainant, who ended up on the floor, and punched him in the neck.
The victim managed to get up, but Horne grabbed him by the neck once again and “slammed his head against the bar twice”.
The incident, which was believed to have lasted for around 30 seconds, was caught on CCTV and played in court.
Horne could be seen assaulting the staff member before people in the room intervened.
The victim was taken to hospital, where a cut on his head had to be glued.
Defendant 'uses alcohol as a way of coping'
Sean Wilson, defending, told the court Horne has “very little recollection” of the incident.
The court heard the defendant was heavily intoxicated at the time of the assault, but wanted to apologise to the victim for his actions.
Mr Wilson cited the pre-sentence report but it was not read aloud in court.
He said there is a “relationship between Mr Horne’s offending and alcohol”, but he had not been before the courts for 13 years.
He added:
When the offence took place, it was at a time of year Mr Horne finds very hard. His partner died of breast cancer at a young age [around that time of year] and he has found her death very hard to cope with.
His father has lung cancer, and he was finding work very stressful at the time, which led him to period of binge drinking.
Horne was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 22, the court heard, and sometimes still hears voices in his head.
Mr Wilson said the defendant uses alcohol as a way of coping, adding the incident occurred following an “inappropriate use of alcohol”.
“It was a nasty incident”, he told the court.
The chair of the magistrates’ bench told Horne the incident was an “unprovoked and unwarranted assault”.
He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
Horne began to cry when he was told he would not be facing immediate custody.
He must also complete 120 days of alcohol abstinence monitoring, 20 rehabilitation activity days and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Horne was ordered to pay a £187 surcharge, £85 in prosecution costs and £100 in compensation.
He was also excluded from The Claro Beagle for two years.
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