Brawl at Hayling Island bar as man breaks victim's ribs by knocking him into table

Dad-of-two James Pedder, 33, was spared prison at Portsmouth Crown Court after fighting with James Muirhead in Lily’s Bar, Creek Road, on Hayling Island.

The court heard the incident with plumbing assistant Pedder, who has nine convictions for 17 offences, kicked off in the bar when he threw a mobile phone.

Around 20 minutes later Pedder left the bar with ‘another confrontation’ where the defendant grabbed Mr Muirhead and ‘threw him to the ground,’ prosecutor Hugh French said.

‘Mr Muirhead managed to get the upper hand and restrained him before letting him go.’

Pedder, who had been drinking, followed him back inside the bar before ‘arming himself with a bar stool’ and pushed it ‘into Mr Muirhead on several occasions,’ Mr French added.

‘Mr Pedder then kicks him twice before pulling him on to a table. That action of taking Mr Muirhead down onto a table caused Mr Muirhead to crack a rib.’

Addressing the defendant, judge Roger Hetherington said: ‘There was an incident in Lily’s Bar on Hayling Island. Mr James Muirhead became involved in some way.

‘First of all there was an altercation outside - that’s between you and him - and then you followed him back inside the bar and inside the bar you then started punching him.’

Mr Muirhead ‘cracked, probably, a rib or ribs,’ the judge said.

Judge Hetherington imposed a 12-month community order with 25 days’ rehabilitation.

Detailing what happened outside, Rebecca Fairbairn, mitigating, said: ‘Mr Muirhead accepted he restrained quite forcefully to the floor (Pedder) for a number of minutes’.

She added: ‘Mr Pedder accepted he bit Mr Muirhead’s hand or arm which he was using to restrain him.’

Police were called at 10.30pm on March 29 last year.

Pedder was not convicted of any charges relating to the bite, and Ms Fairbairn said he was acting in self-defence.

‘He of course, following Mr Muirhead, does come back into the pub - that’s the assault that then does take place,’ she added.

He admitted common assault. Other charges were dropped against Pedder, a full-time carer for his elderly father. Pedder was acquitted of others.

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