Chesterfield nightclub bouncer knocked out reveller with single punch, court hears

A nightclub bouncer knocked out a young reveller with a single punch outside a venue in Chesterfield, a court heard.
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Mitchell Williams, aged 27, of Fairview Road, Dronfield, was working at the Association bar in Corporation Street in the town when the 20-year-old was ejected for being drunk, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Wednesday, December 4.Witnesses described how the father of two first slapped the man - who was out celebrating his birthday with friends - before punching him once to the face and knocking him out cold.The victim, identified in court as Jamie Pollard, had drunk in the region of half a bottle of vodka prior to the incident, the court heard.Prosecutor Robert Carr said that Mr Pollard had no recollection of the incident, other than lying on the floor and hearing his friends shouting at him to wake up.He was taken to Chesterfield Royal Infirmary and King’s Mill Hospital near Mansfield, before being transferred to the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, hospital with a suspected broken jaw. His jaw turned out not to be broken, but he needed around 20 stitches to a facial injury.Williams had claimed that Mr Pollard had threatened to stab him - provoking the attack - but a Newton Hearing carried out the day before found no evidence that the young man had made the threat.Williams, who is of previous good character had worked at the club part-time as a door supervisor for two years - prior to the incident on June 17, 2018, said John Wilford, mitigating.He said: “Another door supervisor had found the victim in a drunken state and escorted him out of the venue.”“Mr Williams slapped him and struck him one blow. This was an unplanned reaction to what Mr Williams perceived had been said.The defendant admitted causing actual bodily harm and was sentenced to 26-weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work in the community.He was also ordered to pay £500 in compensation to Mr Pollard, £400 in costs and £150 victim surcharge.