Colchester man sentenced for one-punch attack in pub

James Marney, 41, launched the one-punch attack during a night out in The Brewers Arms, Colchester, after hearing allegations Dean Howe was being overly forward towards his girlfriend.

Mr Howe was left with a displaced fracture of his left cheekbone and upper jaw and taken to hospital as a result of the brutal blow he suffered on November 12 of last year, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Marney, of St Botolphs Street, Colchester, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent when he appeared in court following the incident in the Osborne Street boozer.

Boozer - The Brewers Arms, Colchester

He was sentenced to seven months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months yesterday.

Gareth Hughes, prosecuting, said Mr Howe arrived at the pub at about 8.30pm and stood at the bar speaking with two women he knew.

In a witness statement he claimed he didn’t know one of the women was in a relationship with Marney and he wasn’t aware of doing anything which might have caused offence.

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However, the prosecutor stated the pub’s landlord, Ralph Davis, witnessed him “keeping putting his arm around” a woman and he noted her referring to “intimacy and touching” which she objected to.

Things came to a head in Marney’s eyes shortly after 11pm when he came from behind Mr Howe and punched him to the left side of his face, causing him to “lose his senses” and fall to the floor.

Sentencing - Ipswich Crown Court

Police officers later came across the victim in Colchester High Street where he was receiving medical attention for his injury, before he was taken to hospital. The officers later located and arrested Marney.

A victim impact statement read to the court told how Mr Howe, a HGV driver, was signed off work for 26 weeks and has been left suffering from depression and has a dent in the left side of his face.

Representing himself, Marney said: “I don’t condone what I did. I saw red which I shouldn’t have”.

Recorder Sarah Przybylska also ordered him to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work, 30 days of a rehabilitation activity and imposed a restraining order against Mr Howe.