A successful tattoo artist with a "massive" Instagram following received death threats from the LGBT community after he pulled the wig of a reveller in a city bar. Justin Davies-Train, 33, of Tavistock Drive, Mapperley Park, ended up in court over the assault in Walrus Bar, King Street, Nottingham city centre, back on February 10 this year.
CCTV from the Walrus was played at Nottingham Magistrates' Court as artist Davies-Train - who earns £4,000-a-month after tax - was fined £615 over the assault. Mark Fielding, prosecuting, on Monday (December 12) said the assault was the pulling of the wig, shown in court in a busy bar scene.
Mitigating, Derek Brown said Davies-Train had maintained he had not made any homophobic comments throughout the course of these proceedings and at a police station. "As a result of the allegation, he got death threats from the LGTB community," added Mr Brown. "He is a tattoo artist and artist by trade and has a massive Instagram following. He was getting threats on social media.
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"The threats he was getting from the community, in my submission without condoning the assault, were perhaps worse than the assault he is accused of doing. He was getting death threats. He has disconnected from the social community.
"He is no longer booked (for work) because they did not want that reputation and prospect of him turning up at events and there be threats".
Davies-Train, 34, of Tavistock Drive, Mapperley Park, had work lined up in America. But the conviction may mean he may not be able to get a Visa to enter the States. "Throughout these proceedings and at the police station phase, he has been a nervous wreck and walking on a knife edge," added Mr Brown to two magistrates, who decided on Davies-Train's punishment.
The case was originally alleged on the basis Davies-Train attacked artist Kai Manning in the bar. He pleaded guilty to assaulting the man.
But it was alleged he also made comments to the man - which he denied - and the case had been listed for a hearing on Monday, December 12, to resolve this. But neither the victim nor a friend of the victim turned up at court - despite extensive efforts by Mr Fielding to telephone and text them both before the case began.
Sentencing was on the defendant's version of events, and not on the basis the witnesses had alleged in their statements. One of those stood with her back to the defendant and the victim as they were speaking, said Mr Brown.
Magistrates dealt with Davies-Train, who wore a smart grey suit and tie for the hearing, for a basic assault with no aggravating factors in the club, adding that it appeared alcohol "may have been involved".
Based on his income of £4,000-per-month, the fine was imposed, a victim surcharge of £62, and costs of £85, with 28 days to pay. Davies-Train, who had no previous convictions, declined to comment when approached by Nottinghamshire Live following the hearing.
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