THUG ATTACKED 5 MEN IN 5 MINUTES OUTSIDE TOWN PUB
Suspended jail term for ‘unprovoked’ violence
THUG Joseph Plimmer attacked five people in five minutes as violence erupted outside a pub.
The 27-year-old was facing ‘emotional turmoil’ when he carried out an unprovoked assault on a man outside the Lamplighter, Cheadle.
Stoke-on-trent Crown Court heard Plimmer punched his victim three times and broke his tooth. He then went on to attack another four men who tried to intervene.
Now Plimmer, who is already serving a community order for a battery about three weeks after this incident, has been sentenced to 22 months, suspended for two years. Prosecutor Nicholas Berry said the incident happened late on September 8.
He added said: “At 11.45pm the victim stood outside the pub socialising with friends. He saw the defendant’s brother being refused entry. Because of the way he was behaving the victim told him to calm down.
“The defendant approached his brother and shouted at the man before punching him three times in quick succession to the face, causing him to fall to the floor. “The incident continued. The defendant assaulted no fewer than five men over the space of five minutes. He attacked various men outside the pub on the street.
“An officer arrived in a police van. He went to open the door of the police vehicle. The defendant pushed the door against his body. The officer was not injured.”
Plimmer, of Woodlands Lane, Blythe Bridge, pleaded guilty to affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.
Anis Ali, mitigating, said Plimmer said: “He is embarrassed and ashamed at his conduct. It was a completely unnecessary set of events. He regrets that behaviour. He has demonstrated a willingness to change his ways and maintains he is completely abstanent from alcohol.
“He has a dependent family. The imposition of an immediate custodial sentence would have a disproportionate effect on them for he is the bread winner for the family.”
As part of the suspended sentence Plimmer must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement for 10 days and 240 hours unpaid work.
Judge Graeme Smith said: “The pre-sentence report suggests the trigger is likely to be the emotional turmoil you were facing and your decision to use alcohol to try and cope with that.
“There was no excuse for the unprovoked attack on your victim and other members of the public who sought to intervene. You struck a number of members of the public and you pushed a door against a police officer.”
Plimmer was ordered to pay his victim £500 compensation.