Chippy owner hit employee on the head with glass

Robert Hearn, 40, of Main Street, Hutton Buscel, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The court heard that Hearn approached the victim at a Scarborough pub at 9.30pm on August 1 saying: “I want a word with you”, to which he was ignored.

Mr Hearn then picked up a pint glass and swung at the victim, making connection with his head and causing him to fall off his stool.

The victim suffered a cut above his eye and Hearn walked out of the public house.

Beth Richardson, prosecuting, said: “The defendant got a number of calls from the victim in a drunken state. He decided to go to the pub to see what the situation was.”

The First Catch Fish and Chips owner intially denied making contact with the victim’s head with the glass. He admitted there was a scuffle where the other party hit his head and claimed it was a “fabrication to get some reward”.

Mike Farr, defending, said: “The victim was with another employee of Mr Hearn’s so, as an employer, he was concerned if he would be coming to work in the morning, with him being drunk in a pub.

“There was a verbal exchange and he did strike the victim with the glass which was a reckless act.

“There was no serious injury and the intentions were to just pour the liquid contents of the glass on the complainant.

“If he could turn back the clock then he would.”

The chairman of the bench said: “This is a serious assault and your actions could have caused serious injury. It is a one-off loss of self control.”

Hearn was given a 12 month community order, 200 hours of unpaid work, 10 days in a rehabilitation course, ordered to pay costs of £85, surcharge of £85 and compensation of £100.