Drunk dad attacked landlord

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court heard Wesley Mason, of no fixed address, plead guilty to assaulting Alan Key at the Fox and Goose on February 6.

The court was told Mason, 32, was heavily intoxicated and began lashing out with his fists after the landlord told him to leave at around 11pm.

The court heard Mason had met up with friends and they had begun fooling around near the pool table, which caused Mr Key to walk over and warn Mason about his behaviour.

Glenn Anderton, prosecuting, told the court Mason went outside for a cigarette but was then told by the landlord he was no longer welcome in the pub.

He then aimed a punch at Mr Key’s shoulder but was so drunk he fell over, only to regain his feet and then launch further punches at the landlord.

Mr Key ended up with a black eye and also lost his glasses during the confrontation.

Mason initially fled the scene but was arrested a short time later.

Mr Anderton said: “He had been out celebrating a friend’s birthday and told police he had drunk enough and wasn’t in the best mood.

“He accepted he acted a bit silly around the pool table and recalled the landlord telling him to calm down.

“He claimed someone in the pub hit him and accepts the red mist descended and he started throwing punches.”

Defending, Bob Topping said Mason spent much of his time working as a plasterer and looking after his two young children.

Mr Topping said his client did not remember much of what had happened but was deeply sorry about the incident.

Mr Topping said: “He doesn’t drink very often and one of the by-products of not drinking regularly is that alcohol then affects you very quickly indeed.

“His friends have said the landlord threw him out forcibly. There was then a bit of an altercation outside and he started punching out.

“He bitterly regrets what has happened and the first thing he will do is go and see the landlord to apologise personally. This is a very salutary experience for him.”

The magistrates fined Mason £150 and also ordered him to pay £100 compensation, £85 costs and a £20 victims’ surcharge.

Mr Key is the second person in charge of the Wigan Lane boozer to see customers brought in front of the courts as drug-taking thug Nathan Jones was jailed for nine years in 2014 after a savage attack on previous landlord Martin Edwards.