MoD worker slammed Wetherspoon doorman to the ground after being asked to leave pub

Many love the breakfast at The Stannary Court
-Credit: (Image: Matt Gilley/PlymouthLive)


A man who was asked to leave a pub slammed his victim onto the ground causing him to suffer serious injuries and remain off work for a number of weeks.

Jake McCormack, of Buena Vista Drive in Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to a door supervisor last year.

Prosecutor Bethany Rickerby told the court 27-year-old McCormack was in The Stannary Court public house in The Ridgeway, Plympton on the evening July 21, 2023 with a number of others, including his father.

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She explained that the group of around four or five men had been asked to leave by staff and had refused. She told the court McCormack's father had responded to the the doorman's request to leave "I'm not moving. Touch me and see what happens".

The group returned to the bar and were refused service, becoming increasingly abusive. The doorman returned to the group and asked them to leave by McCormack's father approached the doorman who pushed him back.

McCormack then grabbed the doorman, lifted him up and slammed him onto the floor. Initially unable to get up, the doorman later attended hospital to be told he had suffered several rib fractures and a punctured lung which resulted in his lung collapsing.

The doorman spent five days in hospital and after being discharged suffered great pain - at one stage vomiting blood and having to return to hospital where he was treated for a chest infection. As a result of his injuries he was off work for eight weeks and lost a substantial amount of earnings.

In addition, the court was told that the doorman had to spend most of the two months recuperating and as was the summer holidays was unable to take his daughter on any trips or activities. The prosecutor as he was confined to his sofa for much of the day due to the pain he suffered.

The Stannary Court, Plympton
The Stannary Court, Plympton

Ms Rickerby said the doorman had eventually returned to work but was now far more conscious of his injuries and worried about being injured again.

In mitigation, McCormack's advocate Edward Bailey said his client had no previous convictions, convictions, reprimands or warnings to his name, was the sole carer for his three-year-old son who was autistic and had written letters to the victim and the judge apologising for his actions.

In addition to six supporting character references he said the last 14 months had given McCormack time to reflect on his actions that night and recognise they were "inexcusable", "fuelled by drink" and he had sought to remonstrate rather than just walk away.

Mr Bailey said that while the incident was "short lived" his client recognised that it had had "devastating consequences" and as such he was "utterly ashamed" of what he had done and showed "genuine remorse". He explained McCormack was gainfully employed as a data analyst for the Ministry of Defence earning £35,000 per year.

Mr Bailey said there was a "low likelihood" of McCormack troubling the courts again and as a result of the incident he had "completely moderated his drinking" resulting in him only having a beer at the weekend at home while watching the football on TV.

Judge Peter Johnson noted how McCormack was initially charged with the more serious offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to the lesser charge.

He told McCormack his behaviour that night was "disgraceful" adding that "your father emerges with no credit", adding that he had viewed the CCTV of the incident and it was "quite clear there was misbehaviour in your group and your father became aggressive and confrontational" and had to be pushed away a number of times by the doorman who was "performing a service for the public and he tried to restrain you".

He said it was clear the doorman had been grabbed by McCormack and flipped onto his back, causing the serious injuries and causing him to be off work for eight weeks and discomfort for two further months, plus a loss of earnings as a result of the injuries.

Taking into account the aggravating factors - including that he had consumed seven pints that night before the assault - and the mitigating factors, such as his early guilty plea, the character references, his previous good character and remorse, he handed McCormack a prison sentence of six months, but suspended for 15 months.

GV of Plymouth Crown Court.
Plymouth Crown Court

Judge Johnson said McCormack would be under supervision for 15 months, would carry out 60 hours of unpaid work, take part in a alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement for 100 days.

He would be prohibited from entering the Stannary public house in Plympton and must pay his victim compensation of £3,000 at a rate of £200 a month. In addition, he told McCormack he must pay the courts costs of £150 and a victim surcharge.

He reminded McCormack that if he committed "any offence" over the next 15 months he would be returned to court and the six month jail sentence would be the "starting point".

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