Community service for man who broke nightclub bouncer's nose

Saturday 01 July 2023

A man who headbutted a customer and a bouncer at a nightclub in St. Helier has been ordered to carry out 130 hours of community service.

In the Magistrate's Court, Ethan John De La Mare (21) admitted charges of common assault and grave and criminal assault.

He was banned from pubs and bars for six months and told to pay £1,539 in compensation to the bouncer, who suffered a broken nose and an eye injury in the assault.

The assaults took place at Vittoria nightclub in Liberty Wharf on 18 December last year.

Advocate Adam Harrison, prosecuting, said De La Mare had headbutted another customer in an unprovoked attack. When he was then escorted off the premises he headbutted a bouncer, leaving him with facial injuries and an injury to his eye.

The attack on the bouncer was deemed a grave and criminal assault.

De La Mare admitted the assaults immediately. Advocate Harrison said: "He said: 'What they say is true. I’m disgusted by what I did.'"

Advocate Debbie Corbel, defending, said he should therefore be given a community punishment rather than a prison sentence.

She told the court: "Mr De La Mare has felt nothing but remorse since the incident.

"The offences were aggravated by intoxication but he has not sought to make any excuse of any kind."

She also pointed out that he had no previous convictions. De La Mare works as an apprentice electrician and the advocate added: "Many people think very highly of him, including his employer."

Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz told De La Mare: "Using your head as a weapon can cause considerable damage. But this seems to be out of character."

She sentenced him to 120 hours of community service for the grave and criminal assault on the bouncer and 50 hours for the assault on the other customer. Forty hours of the second order are to run concurrently with the first order, and ten hours will run consecutively to it – giving him a total sentence of 130 hours.

The Relief Magistrate also imposed the compensation order and ban from licensed premises and added: "We don’t ever want to see you back in court."