Cocaine-fuelled Portsmouth thug pushed over man with cerebral palsy and broke second victim's jaw

Danny Elmes was rowing with a group of people in Guildhall Walk after drinking and taking cocaine on a night out in Pryzm nightclub in Portsmouth when two friends in their 20s – who did not know the 19-year-old – walked past.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard he shoved the disabled man in his chest, knocking him to the ground where he grazed his elbow.

When the second passer-by told Elmes it was unnecessary and pushed him in the back, the ‘agitated and aggressive’ defendant swung round and ‘punches him to the face,’ prosecutor Martyn Booth said.

The single blow fractured the victim’s jaw, needing surgery and plates fitted.

Previous dental work was undone and he needed to spend £3,000 at the dentists, and lost earnings of around £900. Both victims had also been in Przym.

Elmes, of Stratton Close, Paulsgrove, was pulled away from the men, and two groups - not including the victims - then swung punches between themselves.

The court heard Elmes had been worked up into a ‘jealous rage’ as ‘his girlfriend was speaking to other males,’ Mr Booth said.

CCTV captured the attack on August 24 last year. Police arrived, arrested Elmes and found £200 worth of cocaine, classed as ‘personal use’.

Jailing Elmes for six months, judge William Ashworth said the punch victim had been ‘marked forever’ by his actions carried out ‘whilst raging in a fit of jealousy fired up by drink and taking large amounts of cocaine’.

He said: ‘You had drunk a very large amount, on your own admission, you had taken about one gram of cocaine, and you had a lot more on you.’

He added: ‘You had been thrown out of the nightclub and then had an altercation with the bouncers.

‘You left but were seen in a very high level of aggression, stomping around in the Guildhall Square area, seen on CCTV to kick the shutters of a pharmacy and a disabled lift, arguing with your friends.’

Judge Ashworth added: ‘Your behaviour was fuelled by the alcohol and cocaine you had taken. The victims in this case are wholly innocent members of the public.’

The judge took into account his good character, except for a cannabis caution in December, his young age, and that he suffered a bereavement when young.

Bridget O’Hagan, mitigating, said: ‘It was an impulsive act. It was a disastrous cocktail of emotion, alcohol and drugs caused Mr Elmes to behave in a way that he has never previously behaved.’

She added: ‘He is incredibly ashamed of his behaviour and has never tried to hide anything.’

Elmes, 18 at the time of the incident, admitted causing grievous bodily harm, battery and possession of a class A drug.

The judge reduced a 12-month term to eight as Elmes pleaded guilty, and then reduced it to six due to the Covid-19 situation in prisons.

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