Suspended sentence for Popworld bouncer who punched man
A “professional and dedicated” doorman with a reputation for keeping his cool suddenly lost his temper and felled a man he had turned away with a “clubbing blow” from behind.
Knocked unconscious by the blow outside a nightclub, Delmore Gumbs’ victim fell forward, unable to break his fall, and smashed his face on the pavement.
Gumbs, who a judge said may have been spat at before launching his attack, pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to a charge of wounding.
The 27-year-old, of Cannock Road, Wolverhampton, was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for two years, and was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and to pay £1,000 compensation to his victim and £200 costs.
Popworld
Prosecutor Mr Madhu Rai said the incident took place outside the Popworld nightclub in Church Street, Nuneaton, where Gumbs was working on the door on September 8 last year.
Christopher Taylor was refused entry by Gumbs, who felt he had had too much to drink, and there was an exchange of words between them following that.
During the exchange, Mr Taylor provoked Gumbs in some way, and after watching a CCTV recording of the incident at an earlier hearing, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC suggested: “He spat at the accused, potentially.”
Mr Taylor then turned and walked away, but Gumbs went after him and, without any warning, struck him to the back of his head with a downward blow of his fist.
Knocked out
It immediately knocked Mr Taylor unconscious and, unable to break his fall, he fell forward – hitting his face on the pavement and suffering a two-inch gash between his eyebrows and a badly-broken nose.
The judge added: “There was a degree of provocation and a lack of premeditation.
“But where a man is the size of Mr Gumbs, his fists are weapons, and he struck this man a heavy clubbing blow to the rear of the head.”
Mr Joe Rowe, defending, said: “The injuries were caused by the fall to the pavement. Mr Gumbs is described [in references] as professional and dedicated and known to show control in the face of provocation.
“This would appear to have been entirely out of character.
“Unfortunately on this occasion he loses his temper for a brief period of time.
“It was a brief loss of temper, a single blow and then he moves away,” Mr Rowe added.
“He is devastated he has caused those injuries.
“He has been suspended by the security industry, and he expects that to be permanent.”
Significant
Sentencing Gumbs, Judge Lockhart told him: “We start with the victim.
“His injuries are significant,” the judge added.
“He has a huge cut across the centre between his eyebrows and a broken nose from where he hit the pavement after your clubbing blow.
“It is tragic to see you before the court for this matter.
“You were a doorman, your job was to remain calm under provocation.
“You are trained to be restrained,” Judge Lockhart added.
“This young man was plainly drunk, and I have no doubt he did provoke you, but people like you must maintain control.
“You had time to cool off, but you pursued him down the road.
“Where a man of your size uses a fist in a clubbing motion, that is akin to the use of a weapon.”
But the judge added: “Go back into the community and become the law-abiding citizen you can be.”
