A WOMAN was punched to the floor after getting in between two men involved a drunken scuffle outside a Worcester club.
Graham Henman, of Leckhampton Close, pleaded guilty at Worcester Magistrates Court to assaulting Naomi Ann Cooper and using threatening behaviour while James Wiltshire, of Cranham Drive, pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour on Friday (September 18).
Jackie Rogers, prosecuting, told the court officers were called to Angel Place on August 29 at 3.15am to a fight that was caught on CCTV.
A number of friends were involved in a verbal argument trying to keep the two defendants apart as they were throwing their arms in the air and ended up in the road.
Henman pushed Wiltshire who then threw the first punch, the court heard how Miss Cooper tried to stop the fight and got in between the two men before she was punched by Henman.
The pair continued to fight and fell to the floor, Henman was the first to get up and kicked Wiltshire who then got back up and began to throw more punches.
Police and an ambulance were called and Miss Cooper was treated by paramedics who recommended she go to hospital but she did not.
She made a statement and said she was knocked to the floor and was out for a minute or two and when she came to everyone had run away.
Defence solicitor, Judith Kenney, represented Henman, said: “The two were talking and Mr Wiltshire offered Graham a drink and thought he was ignoring him.
“Mr Wiltshire explained to Graham there were a few lads at the top of the road who wanted to fight him, Graham told him he had his back, he misunderstood it as he had their back.
“Graham aimed a punch at Wiltshire and missed, he aimed a second and did not realise that he had caught Naomi Copper.
“Mr Henman came and sought my help and was horrified by what had happened.
“When he was interviewed and shown the CCTV footage he saw the fact that Naomi had been the individual who had been assaulted and said he would not have hit a girl.”
Wiltshire was fined £85 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge, £150 court charge and £85 in prosecution costs.
Henman was fined £60 and was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20, court charge £150 for using threatening behaviour and was fined £120 for the assault. The 21-year-old was also ordered to pay the victim £100 in compensation.
Chair of the bench, John Taylor, said: “Behaviour outside a nightclub or anywhere else in the city is intolerable when it comes to violence.
“You have come to court and been heavily fined, is it worth it? You keep that in mind for the future,” he added.
