Shropshire man spared jail after nightclub attack in Oswestry

Harry Hall, 27, of Victoria Road, Oswestry, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm against Kieran White at Gibson’s Nightclub in New Street on August 29, last year.

Magistrates heard, via a statement given to police by Mr White, that at the nightclub, the victim was speaking to female friends when he felt a firm push on his left shoulder.

This sent him to the ground, stating he recalled seeing the sky when he fell, and then can only remember seeing grey before bouncers at the club treated him.

He was taken Maelor Hospital A&E in Wrexham, where he was treated for the eight to 10cm laceration that required 15 staples.

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The court heard the incident was the end of a simmering feud between the pair which began the previous month on a night out in Oswestry.

Mr White told police that he had received a phone call from the defendant apologising for a series of abusive and threatening messages sent to him via Instagram but had deleted prior to his victim reading them.

Hall, the court heard, had inserted himself into an issue regarding the victim posing for a picture with a friend’s girlfriend, which was then posted on social media.

Mr White said he had at a later date bumped into Hall at Chester Races and thought everything had been sorted; however, the next night, was the victim of the attack.

The prosecution added that Hall had been staring out his victim, and had been told to move on by other revellers, before he attacked.

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Mr White also added that Hall had been contacted by him and his brother to apologise, before adding that the attack had had a serious impact on his anxiety and ability to socialise in Oswestry.

He added that he did not want to be in the same room as Hall.

Hall’s defence and the probation service both told the court that Hall was ‘deeply remorseful’ about the attack, saying he had issues with alcohol and drugs which he was addressing.

Magistrates sentenced him to a 12-month community order with two conditions of carrying out 20 rehabilitation activity days based on anger and depression, plus a 60-day alcohol monitoring tag.

He will pay £300 in compensation to Mr White, plus £135 in costs and a victim surcharge of £114, plus a fine of £50.

He was also given a three-year restraining order to not contact the victim and his family directly or indirectly.