Man spared jail after headbutting female Wetherspoons manager in the nose

Man spared jail after headbutting female Wetherspoons manager in the nose

Incident at Whitstable pub sparks legal action

A 24-year-old man who attacked a female manager at a Wetherspoons in Whitstable, Kent, received a suspended sentence instead of imprisonment. Leon Wimsett, from Herne Bay, admitted to charges of assault and being drunk and disorderly, though he avoided jail time with fines and costs totaling £739.

The altercation occurred on December 19 last year at The Peter Cushing pub. Witnesses reported that Wimsett became agitated after a prior argument, leading to a sudden attack. Footage captured him confronting the manager, who was calmly requesting him to leave, before delivering a forceful headbutt that struck her in the nose.

“At around 10:45pm, there had been a fight. Included in this group was the man who later assaulted me,” the manager stated during the trial. “After being told to leave, he returned. He appeared quite agitated, complaining his phone was on charge behind the bar, and we were keeping it from him. I explained we hadn’t done that.”

Prosecutor Neil Sweeney highlighted the incident’s severity, noting the headbutt was intentional and caused a clear injury. “You can hear her whimpering or crying after the impact. There’s substantial force involved, and it could have led to a more serious consequence,” he said. Wimsett’s history of violence, including two previous common assault cases, was also cited.

Wimsett, who lives with his parents, was also given a restraining order, prohibiting him from entering the pub. The court dismissed the second charge of being drunk and disorderly, leaving him with no separate penalty for that offense. As he left the courtroom, he thanked the judge, promising, “You won’t see me again, I promise you.”