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Jack Tweed told by court to grow up

Margaret Davis
Tuesday 16 August 2011 07:10 EDT
Jack Tweed was given community service for assaulting a man outside a bar
Jack Tweed was given community service for assaulting a man outside a bar (2009 Getty Images)

The widower of reality TV star Jade Goody was told to "grow up" by a magistrate today as he was given community service for assaulting a man outside a bar.

Jack Tweed, 24, admitted common assault after punching Tom Grantham in the back of the head outside Deuces Bar and Lounge in Chigwell, Essex, in January.

He was given an 18-month supervision order, will do 100 hours of unpaid work, and must take part in a programme to prevent re-offending.

Tweed must also pay £625 costs.

Tweed also aimed two kicks at Mr Grantham, a 21-year-old builder, but missed.

Susan Mann, chair of the bench at Redbridge Magistrates' Court, told Tweed: "I think you now understand that this has got to stop as Mr (Ronald) Jaffa (defending) has said.

"You get yourself into trouble, you drink, you hit someone and try to kick them, that's not the answer...Grow up, stop all this, move on."

His brother Lewis Tweed, 21, was fined £135 and will pay a £15 victim surcharge plus £625 costs for punching Mr Grantham.

The court heard that Jack Tweed and Mark Wright, who appears in reality series The Only Way is Essex, had both invested money in Deuces, but it was then firebombed in October last year.

The venue also fell prey to a second firebomb attack on New Year's Eve, and the flames were extinguished by a night security guard.

Days later on January 3 this year, the Tweeds thought that they heard Mr Grantham threatening to attack the venue as he stood outside in the early hours of the morning.

Lewis Tweed said in a statement that he "genuinely believed that the club might be attacked".

Mr Grantham was then assaulted by the Tweeds.

Mr Wright was acquitted of using threatening behaviour earlier this month.

Defending Jack Tweed, Mr Jaffa explained that the nightclub promoter was only involved in the attack for a matter of seconds, and said: "Unfortunately on this particular evening it was the culmination of a large investment that had gone awry...and what you know happened, the threats that were being made."

He said that the Tweeds, who live at their parents' home in Roebuck Lane, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, are from a "hard-working and respectable" family, and that Jack "doesn't ever want to be before the court again".

But that did not prevent the dressing down by Ms Mann, who warned Jack Tweed to take the advice of probation staff during the programme to prevent re-offending.

"You have this opportunity to do this programme. Take their advice, use their advice, please stop this."

He has been jailed twice in the past for violence, once in 2006 for hitting a 16-year-old boy with a golf club, and again in 2008 for battery of a taxi driver.

Lewis Tweed, who works as a driver and semi-professional golfer, had no previous convictions. The brothers left court without making any comment.

PA

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