A Carlisle man has been ordered to carry out unpaid work for hitting a city bar worker and spitting in her face as a Boxing Day night out turned sour.
James Miller, 25, was served drinks by the woman at Havana, on Botchergate, at around 10pm on December 26.
Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard Miller was rude” towards the employee as he was handed his change. He was asked to leave.
Miller was said to have initially refused to leave, prompting the woman to start walking him towards the door.
“While he and (the woman) were stood outside, the defendant has spat in her face causing saliva to land on her face,” said prosecutor Andy Travis. She shoved Miller, who responded by hitting her to the back of the head. No injury was caused.
The assault, admitted in court by Miller, of Oswald Street, Carlisle, was caught on CCTV footage. Mr Travis said: “She was assaulted while she was at work, serving the public.”
Defence lawyer Duncan Campbell said the offence was totally out of character for Miller but he sought to give some further details about that night. Miller had taken a young lady out for the evening, he said, before an exchange with the staff member at the bar led to him being physically taken hold of and then ejected.
“It is right to say he wasn’t very pleased about being physically removed from the premises when in truth he had not done anything to deserve that,” said Mr Campbell.
Miller had responded by spitting at the woman and then cuffed her as the incident turned sour. “It is totally unacceptable behaviour,” said Mr Campbell. “He doesn’t normally behave in this way at all.”
Magistrates ordered Miller to complete 40 hours’ unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order, and pay court costs.
