‘Nasty drunk’ sentenced for kebab shop attack
Tony Shooter was waiting to order food when he decided to pick a fight with a man ahead of him in the queue.
A drunk thug launched an unprovoked attack on a fellow customer in the middle of a kebab shop.
Tony Shooter was waiting to order food when he decided to pick a fight with a man ahead of him in the queue.
The 46-year-old rounded on the man after watching him complain to staff at King Kebab about his order moments earlier.
He suddenly became aggressive and without warning started repeatedly punching his victim in the face until he fell to the floor.
The ordeal lasted for several minutes, with Shooter continuing to assault the man as he lay on the ground, before then putting him in a headlock.
The man finally managed to wrestle himself free and left the takeaway in Leeming Street, Mansfield, having sustained cuts to his face and arm.
By his own admission, Shooter had consumed around eight pints of beer and four shots of alcohol on the day of the attack on 28 August 2022.
Shooter, who was already serving a community order for an assault at the time, claimed the fight only went on for as long as it did because the man picked up his phone during the incident and he was trying to get it back.
He attended Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (5 January), having already pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Passing sentence, Judge Steven Coupland described Shooter as a “nasty drunk”, adding: “This is the second time in recent memory you’ve got loaded up on drink and behaved in an appalling manner.
“It was none of your business what was happening in the shop but you made it your business.
“People in the shop tried to get in the way but you weren’t having any of it and continued carrying out this nasty assault.”
Shooter, of Hickling Court, Mansfield, was sentenced to 14 months in prison suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay £200 in court costs.
PC Andrew Brundish, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Without any provocation at all, Shooter launched himself at a man who, like him, was simply waiting for some food.
“The assault that followed lasted for several minutes and fortunately only left the victim with cuts and bruises to his face, as opposed to more serious injuries.
“While by his own admission, Shooter had consumed a lot of alcohol that day, this is simply not an excuse for anyone to act in the manner he did.
“Nottinghamshire Police strongly condemns all forms of violence and will never tolerate this kind of behaviour in our communities.
“As highlighted by the judge, there does seem to be a clear link between alcohol and Shooter’s offending, so hopefully he uses this as a wakeup call to change his ways for the better.”