Married couple fined for pub brawl after police officer kicked in groin
Pair to avoid drinking in Worcester again ‘because it all went so horribly wrong’
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
A husband and wife who sparked a nightclub brawl which left a female bouncer injured and a police officer nursing a sore groin have been spared jail.
Peter and Leanne Loveridge, both 40, flew into a drink-fuelled rage after being ejected from The Flag in Worcester on 23 October last year.
A court heard a door supervisor was left with a black eye after being punched in the face by Ms Loveridge as she was being thrown out of the venue.
Police then arrived at the scene “en masse” and wrestled Ms Loveridge to the ground prompting her husband to become involved in the altercation.
Ms Loveridge then kicked a police officer in the groin and broke his glasses as she resisted arrest while Mr Loveridge spat on an officer after being pepper sprayed.
The couple, of Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire, were both arrested and appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Ms Loveridge admitted assaulting two emergency workers and a member of door staff, as well as criminal damage in relation to the broken glasses.
She was fined £280 for the assaults and ordered to pay her victims £165, costs of £185 and a victim surcharge of £34.
Mr Loveridge admitted two charges of common assault of an emergency worker and assault by beating in relation to the attack on the bouncer.
He was also fined £280 for the assaults, ordered to pay costs of £185 and a victim surcharge of £35.
Fergus Maxwell, defending, said Ms Loveridge had expressed remorse but had “little recollection” of what happened.
He added: “Her belief is that someone must have put something in her drink. She has not experienced a loss of memory like that before.”
He said Ms Loveridge accepted striking [the bouncer], causing the black eye, and said her husband had attempted to defuse the situation.
Mr Maxwell added: “It’s right [the bouncer] says, ‘Get her out before I drag her out’. She is entitled to say that. Nonetheless, this seems to aggravate the situation.
“It would be fair to say police attended the Flag en masse. I suspect this situation could have been defused by one police officer saying enough is enough.
“She struck out and hit the officer and she is then taken to the floor and pinned down by two officers.
“Mr Loveridge then became involved concerned about his wife who has never been pinned down by police officers before and never involved in this sort of incident at a public house before.”
During the struggle, Ms Loveridge kicked out “to free herself” and “made contact with the officer’s groin”, the court heard.
Mr Maxwell added: “This was reckless, not intentional. They don’t go to Worcester very often and they don’t intend to come to Worcester for a night out again because it all went so horribly wrong.”
SWNS