A man punched a stranger to the face with such force she fell backwards after she and her group called him out for yanking a woman’s hair. Dean McLeod, 42, was captured on CCTV grabbing the woman’s hair while pulling her to the ground during a row.
She did not report matters to the police, Manchester Crown Court heard. Another group, who were outside the same bar, witnessed the incident and later followed McLeod as he left with his group of friends.
Remonstrating with him about the earlier incident, a melee ensued, which ended with McLeod punching another woman to the face and leaving her with multiple bruises. McLeod admitted an offence of affray and was handed a suspended sentence.
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Andy Scott, prosecuting, said that on July 30 2020, a number of people were sat outside Keith’s Wine Bar on Lark Lane, in Liverpool.
At around 11.45pm, CCTV from the bar captured McLeod, wearing a pink Under Armour t-shirt, meeting with others before he got into an argument with an unknown woman.
“The female repeatedly points away as if to tell McLeod to go away. McLeod then grabs hold of the unknown female’s hair with his right hand and he yanks on her hair, and she falls face down onto the road,” Mr Scott said.
The woman has not made a complaint to the police about McLeod, he added.
A group sat outside the bar, who were not connected with either McLeod or the unknown woman, had witnessed the assault. Two of the women from the group were seen following McLeod, who had gotten into the back of a car nearby, before things escalated.
After one man from McLeod’s group remonstrated with others, a scuffle broke out, with one member of the group hitting the car with a crutch. McLeod was then seen to get out of the car before punching a woman to the face, causing her to fall backwards.
He then kicked out at one of the male members of the group before punching the same woman to the face. She was left with bruises to her face. McLeod was said to have 11 previous convictions for 22 offences including assault and affray.
In a statement, the woman said she was shocked by the fact she was ‘so readily assaulted’ by a man, and that the incident was started by a further assault on another female by McLeod.
Andrew McInnes, mitigating, said his client accepted the ‘catalyst’ was the assault on the unknown woman. “He knew her and there were some family issues in the past,” he said.
“They go to leave and inexplicably, a group of males and females go to confront him. They were attacked and weapons were used and he became involved.”
He said that McLeod was a ‘big man’ and used ‘significant force’ when he became involved. Mr McInnes added that his client had drunk ‘too much’ and said he was ‘gutted’ when he realised the woman was injured. He concluded that he has a ‘real motivation to change’.
Sentencing, Judge Timothy Smith said: “I am satisfied that you were the initial aggressor. You are a tall, heavily built man. Your actions speak of somebody prepared to use violence in these circumstances, using your weight, your height, your strength and in drink, to those who are unable to properly defend themselves.”
McLeod, of East Dam Wood Road, Liverpool, was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment which was suspended for two years. He must also complete 180 hours unpaid work, a Thinking Skills programme, an alcohol treatment programme, 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirements, and must pay £750 compensation to the woman.
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