Sobbing man is jailed over drunk attack near Wolverhampton Asda
An 'uncontrollable' drunk who lied to police by telling them he had been attacked after he punched a store manager outside a supermarket has been jailed for 10 months.
Eugene McCrystal reeked of booze when he stumbled up to a group of female staff outside ASDA in Jack Hayward Way, Wolverhampton, and demanded one of them give him a cigarette, a court heard.
Wolverhampton Crown Court was told that when the unemployed 41-year-old became aggressive two branch managers came out of the store to resolve the situation.
Miss Lisa Hancox, prosecuting, said McCrystal swung a punch at one of the managers but missed and was wrestled to the ground. The manager allowed McCrystal to get up and attempted to calm him down, but the defendant responded by punching him on the nose, continued the prosecutor.
"Police attended the scene and arrested him," added Miss Hancox.
"But when he was interviewed he said the manager had knocked him down and was beating him up."
Mr Christopher O'Gorman, defending, said a family tragedy and the loss of his job led to McCrystal coming off the rails.
He said: "This man turned to alcohol.
In drink he is an absolute nuisance."
McCrystal, of Goodyear Avenue, Low Hill, Wolverhampton, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Jailing the sobbing man for 10 months, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC, said: "To say he is an absolute nuisance puts it quite mildly. In drink he is uncontrollable."
