A THUG attacked an off-duty doorman with a two-foot piece of wood before attempting to ‘gouge his eyes out’, a court heard.

Paul Miles, 40, of Hillbourne Road, Weymouth, appeared at Dorchester Crown Court where he admitted assault by beating in an incident at 9.30pm on August 20.

Earlier that night Miles was evicted from the Lazy Lizard club on Weymouth Esplanade for "causing trouble" and off-duty door supervisor Robert Ambrose helped evict him, said Simon Edwards, prosecuting.

Mr Ambrose then decided to leave the club and walk home alone when he saw the defendant holding a two-foot long piece of wood in Bond Street.

Mr Edwards added: “The supervisor attempted to walk past the defendant but was hit in the leg and head with the piece of wood causing him to fall to the floor.

“Following this, the defendant jumped on top of the supervisor pushing his thumbs into his victim’s eyes, as if to gouge his eyes out.”

Mr Ambrose blacked out and it was only when a member of the public intervened that Miles ceased the assault, the court was told.

John Dyer, mitigating, said Miles claimed he had been assaulted by two men in their 20s just before the incident and had picked up the piece of wood to arm himself before following them. Mr Dyer added: “He knew the complainant was not the same man and was appalled to hear what he had done. He had drunk six pints that night and, mixed with painkillers for his back, this had put him out of control.

“My client is absolutely mortified that this happened and has written a letter of apology to his victim.”

Mr Dyer said Miles’ life has been ‘torn apart’ by throat cancer, leaving him only able to speak with the aid of an implement - and had moved to Weymouth to live closer to his mum and sister.

He added: “When my client left the club he was knocked over by a car; had he not refused the support of an ambulance he may not have committed this offence.”

Recorder Vasanti Selveratnam QC handed Miles a high level community order, including a requirement to undertake 180 hours of unpaid work over 18 months.

He was given a curfew requirement for six months, and ordered to pay £500 compensation to his victim.

Recorder Selveratnam said: “This offence appears to be wholly out of character for you and you have expressed genuine remorse.

“Your victim was left with bruising to the backs of his legs, bruising to his eyeballs and was kept in hospital overnight.

“He was made subject to ongoing checks but thankfully is expected to make a full recovery.”

VICTIM Robert Ambrose has hit out at the sentence handed to his attacker, saying he should have been given a prison sentence.


Married father-of-four Mr Ambrose, 46, of Portland, says he can't understand why Miles wasn't charged with a more serious offence given that he armed himself with a piece of wood and that the attack was totally unprovoked.


"It's not much of a deterrent is it?" said Mr Ambrose, who works for a construction company during the week and is employed as a door supervisor at weekends.
He added: "My family worry about me now when I go to work on the door at night.
 

"I've been doing the door 20 years and I've not experienced violence like this. I was completely shocked by what happened. It hasn't put me off doing what I do though.
 

"The sentence doesn't send out a clear message to the public that this behaviour will not be tolerated."