Bouncer guilty of common assault (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Bouncer guilty of common assault

A CIRENCESTER bouncer who physically assaulted a drunken teenager could lose his main job as a social worker, a court has heard.

Noel Bennett, 39, of Whelford Road, Kempsford was found guilty of common assault at Cirencester Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The father-of-two, who works at Coln House School in Fairford, is a doorman at The Rock Club in Bishop's Walk on Friday and Saturday nights.

He appeared before magistrates accused of assaulting an 18-year-old Cirencester man outside the nightclub on Saturday, November 13, 2004.

Bennett pleaded not guilty to the charge, despite the incident being captured on CCTV cameras in the Brewery Car Park.

The victim of the assault, Steven Jackson, now 19, and Bennett himself both told the court their version of events that evening.

However, the video evidence clearly showed the defendant push and then punch his victim.

Elisabeth Thomas, prosecuting, said: "It is clear from the video images that is what happened. The video is at the heart of this trial."

Bennett argued he had been acting in self-defence after Mr Jackson, who admitted he had been drinking for several hours, refused to leave the premises.

He said: "I felt that for my own safety I needed to push him - I thought he was going to attack me because of his behaviour up to that point."

Paul Orton, defending, told the court Mr Jackson was acting aggressively towards staff and customers, and it was necessary to use physical force to eject him.

The defence denied there had been any punch, only that Bennett had twice pushed the teenager away from the club entrance after he repeatedly kicked the door and demanded to know why he had been asked to leave.

Magistrates sided with the prosecution, however, and decided Bennett had used aggressive force by pushing and then punching the teenager and was not solely acting in self-defence.

This was despite a character witness describing Bennett as a "gentle giant" who was not violent, and a letter from Coln House praising his work.

Now it seems likely the 39-year-old will lose his job as a care worker after the education authority warned him of such an outcome.

Mr Orton said: "He is in grave danger of losing his job and it would be a great loss to those children. He's a man of impeccable character and it is a shame."

Magistrates sentenced Bennett to an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay court costs of £300. He declined to comment following the outcome.