Pub landlord punched repeatedly while trying to stop brothers fighting at their uncle's wake
A teenager fighting with his brother at their uncle's wake repeatedly punched a Leicestershire pub landlord who tried to break up the fight. The landlord of the Blue Bell Inn in Main Street, Hoby, near Melton, was hit on his head and suffered chest pain in the incident.
At Leicester Magistrates' Court on Monday, Harry Illingworth, 18, of Loughborough Road, Asfordby, near Melton, pleaded guilty to assault by beating. He claimed the fight had started when he tried to stop his drunken brother driving home.
Prosecutor Peter Bettany told the court about the incident, which happened at 10.15pm on Friday, August 30. He said: "About 40 people had been at the wake, and at 10.15pm most had gone home.
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"There was a disturbance between two people, and the landlord told them to stop. They were throwing punches at each other.
"The landlord, trying to stop the fighting, got hit in the left ear and in the back of the head and also had a pain in his chest." Mr Bettany said the landlord was then pulled to the ground, and he shouted to one of the pub regulars to call Leicestershire Police.
Illingworth was arrested and told police he did not know he had punched the landlord and offered his apologies. He told the police he had no intention to hurt either the landlord or his brother.
Jay Morjaria, representing Illingworth, told the court: "His brother was the other gentleman involved. He was quite intoxicated and was going to drive home. Mr Illingworth tried to stop him.
"The defendant accepts it was improper conduct. He's an 18-year-old lad doing quite well. He's in college and he's started an apprenticeship in heating and plumbing."
The magistrates ordered Illingworth to pay the landlord £70 compensation, and gave Illingworth a 12-month conditional discharge.