Saturday 17 September 2022

"Banter" Bottling In Kingston Pub

A customer services manager bashed another woman over the head with a bottle during drunken over-the-top behaviour she dismissed as “banter”, a court heard.

Tamagin Mellor, 48, touched the chest of another female pub customer during a rowdy drinking session, which descended into a mass brawl when she also struck out with the bottle.


The following month she left her role with Merlin Entertainments, whose theme parks include Alton Towers; Chessington World Of Adventure and Legoland.


Mellor, of Chesfield Road, Kingston-upon-Thames pleaded guilty to inflicting actual bodily harm to Rosie Tune at the nearby Kings Tun pub on May 7.


She also pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon, namely a bottle, on the same occasion.


Prosecutor Timothy Fulford told Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court it was midnight when the lone defendant joined the victim and her friends, who were drinking at a table.


“The victim noticed the defendant started to touch one of her friend’s breasts in ‘banter’ and he friend asked her to stop, which she did for a time.


“It then started again and Mellor was challenged, at which point she started getting very angry and the victim heard her say she was going to: ‘Bottle her.’


“Before she could react she felt an impact to the left side of her head, a sharp pain and fell to the floor.


“She says everything was a blur and she felt confused and people were asking her if she was okay and police were called to the scene.”


Officers questioned Mellor. “She accepted she was intoxicated and that she was deeply ashamed.”


At the time of the offence Mellor was under a court-imposed Community Order for an offence of failing to provide a breath-test when suspected of drink-driving.


“She has very little recollection of the incident and there is a suggestion this was not a completely unprovoked assault,” said Ms Ros Olleson, defending. “There was a bit more going on.

 

“She expresses remorse for her behaviour. This was not so hard that the bottle broke, but it clearly caused a bump, causing the woman to fall to the floor.


“What followed was a melee and Ms Mellor did receive a blow to her head, contributing she thinks to having little recollection of the events.


“She is a binge drinker and when she does drink it is to excess.


“Her behaviour on the day was so shocking to her she has taken steps to address that and has not drunk alcohol since.


“She works as a customer services manager, dealing with the public and this behaviour was out of character and unlikely to be repeated.


“Luckily little injury was caused.”


Magistrate David Charnley announced: “This offence is so serious a term of custody is appropriate, but it will be suspended.


“There was use of a weapon by the defendant, aggravated by being intoxicated and under a court order.” 


Mellor received twenty-four weeks imprisonment, suspended for twelve months and must comply with a three-month Alcohol Treatment Requirement and attend twenty days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.


She was not ordered to pay any compensation to the victim, but must pay £85 costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

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