Pair sentenced for assaulting

Two men assaulted a restaurant staff member after being asked to leave alcohol outside.

 

Ben Dyer and Steven Toms were among a group of men who had gone to McDonalds at Galleys Corner, Braintree, with beer glasses and bottles.

A staff member asked them to take it outside because the restaurant does not have a premises licence for alcohol.

But the group became verbally abusive and refused.

An off-duty staff member tried to intervene and calm the situation down. Dyer refused and put his glass on the floor.

As the staff member went to take it outside, Dyer and Toms grabbed him and pushed him to the floor. Toms (pictured) then stamped on his head, knocking him unconscious.

We issued CCTV images as part of our enquiries into the incident, which took place on 19 April last year, and members of the public helped us identify the pair.

Both handed themselves in and were later charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. They admitted the charges and were sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 8 May.

Dyer, 29, of Crouch Drive, Witham, was given a six-month jail term suspended for 18 months and must complete rehabilitation activities. He was given a four-month curfew, which will be monitored, and was banned from all licensed premises for four months.

Toms, 38, of Cherwell Way, Gorleston, had also been charged with causing grievous bodily harm after punching his ex-partner in the face, knocking her unconscious.

He had attacked her after an argument at a relative’s home in Rayne on 10 October last year.

Toms admitted the charge was jailed for a total of two years and two months for both incidents.