Friday 7 June 2019

Club & Bar Awards Boss Get Suspended Prison Sentence

"Berserk": Armstrong
The founder and CEO of the London Club & Bar Awards has received a suspended prison sentence today for going “berserk” on New Year’s Eve and drunkenly biting police officers.

Mark Armstrong, 53, who lives in a £3.3m house at 104 Cheyne Walk, West Brompton, had admitted the charges twenty-four hours earlier.

At his first appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court Armstrong secured an adjournment to secure legal representation.

On that occasion prosecutor Mr. Robert Simpson told the court: “The incident started on New Year’s Eve, the defendant was very drunk and there was an incident between him and his partner.

“A member of the public intervened to protect the partner and he assaulted her.

“Police officers arrived and he went completely berserk and a number of them were bitten so blood was drawn.”

Armstrong, who gave his nationality as American pleaded guilty that on December 31, last year he assaulted Lauren Brothers at the junction of Sloane Street and Cadogan Place.

He also pleaded guilty to causing an affray at the same location and assaulting designated emergency workers PC Harvey Moser and PC Mathew Watson.

Armstrong further admitted pleading guilty to assault, causing actual bodily harm, to PC Ben Bancroft.

The court accepted Armstrong’s behaviour was out of character when sentencing him to six weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 240 hours community service work, pay a £115 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Armstrong must also pay a total of £550 compensation to the victims.

The London Club & Bar Awards, which started in 1994, describes itself as: ‘the first, largest and definitely most important nightlife industry ceremony in the world.’

There is an annual celebrity bash overlooking Hyde Park, where as well as awards for best club and bar there are prizes for best DJ, cocktail maker, event organisers and ‘night time svengalis’ and ‘dandy gentry’. 

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