A man who bit a bystander on the arm as he was restrained after assaulting two Whitehaven pub bouncers — one by spitting into her eye — has been jailed.
Ian O’Fee, 46, was in drinking at the Yellow Earl on Lowther Street on July 23 last year.
From 8pm he was sitting outside the premises, drinking pints while with his dog.
O’Fee accidentally broke a glass at one stage and was then refused drink after concerns about his level of intoxication. He made a nuisance of himself by rubbing his hands on the faces and hair of women present.
He did the same to the female bouncer, who told him that when he left he would not be allowed back in. As they pushed each other, O’Fee lost his footing and fell backwards.
He got up, was in her face again and then launched a “full mouthful of spit” at her, Carlisle Crown Court heard today.
“The majority of that spittle went in her eye and her vision became blurred,” said prosecutor Harriet Lavin.
As her male colleague intervened, he blocked three punches from O’Fee but a fourth blow struck his nose and cheek.
O’Fee was wrestled to the ground by a member of the public, who was repeatedly bitten on the arm. This caused nerve damage and resulted in him having injections to stave off the threat of infection.
The female bouncer also attended hospital, and was concerned about catching COVID or contracting meningitis.
Her colleague, meanwhile, believed he should not have to face such disgusting and repulsive behaviour while at work, the court was told.
CCTV shown in court captured the incident’s latter stages before O’Fee — a man with 85 previous offences to his name, including past violence — was arrested.
O’Fee, of Brakeside Gardens, Whitehaven, admitted three assaults, and was jailed for a total of four months by Recorder Paul Hodgkinson, who spoke of the defendant raging during the incident.
He had also heard of O’Fee’s personal difficulties and probation service progress.
“You are a 46-year-old man — old enough to know better than the way we have just watched yourself behaving on that day, and previously,” said the judge. He added of the spit assault: “You should be ashamed of yourself. This was disgusting behaviour.”
