Grope ‘led to mass brawl’ at West Bromwich strip club
A mass brawl that left one man seriously injured and others hurt could have been triggered by a customer groping one of the dancers at a Black Country strip club, a jury heard.
Violence flared after two groups of men clashed on the dance floor of The Bing Gentlemen’s Club in West Bromwich town centre during the early hours of March 5 last year, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
It may have started after ‘one of the dancers was touched inappropriately,’ said Mr Harinderpal Dhami, prosecuting.
After the disturbance flared up Petruta Anghel, a 37-year-old member of the club’s staff, picked up a pick axe handle from behind the bar which the prosecutor alleged was given to a member of the security staff to break up the incident. She denies this.
There was no CCTV film of the incident on the dance floor but the jury saw footage of customers being ushered and pushed by security staff to the stairs leading to the exit.
Emergency surgery
Mr Damanjit Singh, a customer at the club, needed emergency surgery after being hit on the head by the base of a bar stool thrown down the stairs by 37-year-old club doorman Gregory Beckford.
The blow caused a traumatic brain injury and skull fracture, the jury was told.
Beckford, who was injured during the dance floor clash, admitted throwing the base and has pleaded guilty to assault but denies wounding with intent.
Another customer was attacked whilst trapped between the crowd and the bannister and suffered a wound to the head, a cut hand and a chipped tooth.
Doorman
Mr Dhami alleged the assailant was Tony Onokah, aged 33, another doorman who went to the assistance of Beckford when the trouble began. He denies causing the injuries.
A third customer was seen on TV being hit on the back of the head by somebody wielding the pick axe handle but declined to support the prosecution.
It was claimed the weapon had been in the possession of Serdar Mohammedi, aged 25, who rejects the allegation.
Beckford, from Bainbridge Road, Smethwick, denied wounding with intent; Onokah, of Park Lane, Fallings Park, pleaded not guilty to unlawful wounding and Mohammedi, from Market Place, Great Barr, denied possession of an offensive weapon.
The three men and Anghel, of Addington Way, Tividale all denied violent disorder.
The trial continues.
