Man meted out punch to the head over body shots at bar

Jack Philip Andrew Church dished out a single blow to Richard Andrew Norman which left him with a fractured jaw.

Judge Stephen Climie said it was beyond both him and the defendant as to why he acted the way he did.

Church, 31 and of Southcote Road, Bournemouth, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, having pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Sharkey's in Bournemouth (Image: BNPS)

“What was complete innocent activity between Mr Norman and your then girlfriend, for some reason, no doubt alcohol-fueled, you chose to attack him,” Judge Climie said.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Church and his girlfriend, who were described as boxing trainers, had been getting along with Mr Norman, exchanging pleasantries in Sharkey’s in Old Christchurch Road on March 19 having met for the first time in the bar that day.

While the defendant had gone to the toilet, Mr Norman, who is aged in his 40s, was telling Church’s partner about the “challenges” they had been doing as part of stag do.

One of the “challenges” yet to be completed was to do a body shot – where a shot of spirit is drunk from another person’s belly button.

The court heard the defendant's girlfriend said she was willing to helpthis, with Mr Norman and her both doing a body shot from each other.

Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth (Image: BNPS)

Church, who was at the venue to watch mixed martial arts on TV, was unaware this had taken place until he left the venue with his girlfriend a short time later.

Upon discovering what had happened, he returned to the bar and meted out the punch, which knocked Mr Norman to the ground. CCTV footage of the incident was shown in court.

Prosecuting, Rebecca Fairbairn said after being floored, Mr Norman next recalled being in the bar's security room before he was taken to hospital.

He suffered a fractured jaw, which required surgery and a metal plate to be inserted.

The court heard the injury had caused an irreversible loss of sensation and affected the victim’s ability to take part in his favourite pastime of long-distance running.

Mitigating, Francisca Da Costa said Church, who works full-time as a ventilator, felt “hurt and betrayed” by the drinking of the body shots.

Jack Church, centre, outside Bournemouth Crown Court (Image: BNPS)

Ms Da Costa said Church volunteered at Bournemouth Foodbank and since the incident he had reduced his alcohol consumption.

She said alcohol likely caused him to “lose his good reason and judgement that night”.

Judge Climie said: “Sometimes people get killed with a single punch, as we all know.”

He said the defendant had an “unblemished record” as far as the criminal justice system prior to the assault and there was expressions of profound remorse for what he had done.

The judge told Ms Da Costa: “What possessed a 31-year-old man of good character to behave as he did is still beyond him.”

Judge Climie said he accepted Church regretted what happened.

The judge said there were sufficient reasons to reduce the term of imprisonment and suspend the sentence given the defendant’s guilty plea, his previous good character, the fact he was working and if he was sent to prison it would prevent him from being able to pay compensation to the victim.

The suspended sentence included requirements to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and up to 30 rehabilitation activity days.

Church was ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to Mr Norman.

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