Drunk A.B. cut bouncer

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34107, 20 March 1976, Page 16

Drunk A.B. cut bouncer

An Australian seaman hit a doorman at the Adam's Apple night club with a piece of broken glass on Thursday night after he had been refused entry for his "lack of sobriety," Mr N. L. Bradford, S.M., heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. I He is Alan Arthur Wheeler, aged 19, an able seaman on the • H.M.A.S. Yarra, which is berthed I at Lyttelton. Wheeler was convicted of I assault and fined $l5O by the Magistrate who said that he took into account the disciplinary • action which would be taken by ! the Australian Navy. Wheeler pleaded not guilty to the charge, which had been changed from one of assault with i intent to injure. Sergeant R. H. Fronting said that about 10.25 p.m. on Thursday the defendant and a companion went to the night club, in Lichfield Street. They were refused entry by the doorman because he considered them to be too drunk. The two then went to a tele-

phone booth. Each picked up a milk bottle which they smashed and went back to the night club. At the entrance, the defendant hit Hie doorman with a piece of broken glass. The complainant suffered an injury just below his right breast which requited seven stitches. The complainant, Dennis Douglas llaumu. said in evidence that (after he had told the defendant and his friend that they could not go into the night club they i argued with him. The defendant I told him that he was just prejudiced against Australians. I He told Wheeler that there were already 30 or 40 Australian I sailors in tile club, so that was (not true. Both men then went ! outside and went to a telephone ; booth just down the road. Mr I llaumu said he went to the front (door of the club and saw them kicking the booth and slamming (the telephone receiver up and (down on the hook. I They then went to a nearby bookshop and picked up a couple of milk bottles from inside the doorway of the shop and smashed them on the footpath. Wheeler and his friend then returned to the night club. Mr Haumu said that Wheeler raised his right arm hut he thought the defendant was just going to shake hands with him “or something.” However. Wheeler punched him just below his right shoulder (with a half-closed fist and tried

to push past him. Mr Haumu • jsaid he then picked the defend'jant up and threw him out the ! , door. 1 ' Wheeler landed on his feet "outside and started dancing ’round “like a Kung Fu expert.” The pair were screaming and ’ howling, reinforcing his opinion 1 i that they might know something | about jujitsu. When they tried to enter the . night club a third time, he punched them back on to the l’ footpath. Mr Haumu said they both ran away down Colombo ’ Street after that and he started to walk back inside. As he ; did so he glanced at his shoulder and noticed that it was bleedt ing where the defendant had I punched him. > He said that he then chased the men down Colombo Street . and tackled them, punching both, i The defendant fell to the ground : but the other man ran out on ; to the road and began shouting I at cars. He carried the defen- . dant back to the night club to wait for the police who had • been called. -I The defendant (represented by Mr D. H. P. Dawson) said that •ihe and his friend had been drinking in a city hotel where

they had consumed several pints of beer. He said he was still very hazy about what happened during the invident. When the* were refused entry Wheeler said they argued because the\ did not consider themselves to be as drunk as the doorman thought they were.

He said they went to the phone booth so his friend could ring his grandmother. He admit* I ted picking up “a bottle or something” though he couldn't remember where he got it from. He said he remembered smashing it and did take a piece of glass hack with him Io the night, club but changed his mind about his intention to “fill in” the doorman and threw the glass away. He said a petty officer from his ship had approached the two and had told them to “shoot through” which was why he and his companion left the night dub after he punched the complainant. He admitted being drunk but denied assaulting the doorman with the glass. He said he was no “Kung Fu devotee” either. The Magistrate said that the evidence proved that glass did in fact injure the complainant although he would give Wheeler the benefit of the doubt as to whether he intended to use it to injure him. This was his reason for amending the charge. He said the defendant was obviously “befuddled bv alcohol” at the time. He said he also took into account the fact that Wheeler had received some “harsh justice” at the hands of !the complainant.